The Golden Dragon
by Sandylee007
Summary: As far as the team knows Dr. Spencer Reid was killed by an UnSub two years earlier. But then Derek Morgan sees the exact replica of his late friend twice.  Is he going crazy, or is there something someone's hiding from the team?
1. I should've known that it's you'

A/N: Shortly before finishing another project, I just couldn't keep myself from starting with this one. (smirks sheepishly)

This story is another winner of my poll. **THANK YOU**, from the bottom of my heart and soul, to all those who have voted already – there are so many of you! (HUGS) To those who haven't voted yet, to poll's still open.

FULL SUMMARY: As far as the team knows Spencer Reid was killed by an UnSub two years earlier. So when Morgan sees someone who looks exactly like his late friend he thinks it's just a coincidence. But then he sees the same exact replica again, this time shooting a male UnSub to death just before the man would've killed Morgan. Is he going crazy, or is there something someone's hiding from the team?

WARNINGS: Gore, language, overall disturbing material… (blinks, looking around) Hey, where'd ya all go?

DISCLAIMER: Trust me, I'm not making a dime with this. (snorts, and sighs) But oh, a girl can always dream…

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Releasing a new baby is always nerve wrecking so I'm going through with it before I change my mind. I really, truly hope you'll enjoy the ride!

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><p>The Golden Dragon<p>

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><p>'I should've known that it's you'<p>

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><p>On most days Dr. Spencer Reid loved his job as a federal agent. That evening in Kentucky wasn't one of them.<p>

He sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand, and glanced towards his wristwatch. It was pushing eight p.m. It was the fifth day of their current chase and he knew he should've been resting when he got the chance, but his mind was too restless.

He'd been missing a variable. Now he was finally beginning to get a picture of what it was.

He was just about to refocus on the ten diaries he'd found when his cell phone started ringing. "Hey Morgan", he greeted, trying to ease his spasming back.

"_Hey, kid. Where are you? JJ said you took off an hour ago._"

Spencer took a breath, his eyes stinging from the lack of light. "There was nothing else to do so I went check out Susan Thompson's house. I'm going through her diaries."

"_Wasn't she the first victim?_" Derek sounded confused. "_Her house has been searched through several times. What new could you find from there?_"

Spencer frowned. He wished he knew. "I'm… not sure", he confessed. "But I feel like I'm missing something."

"_I see._" Derek sounded tired and he couldn't blame the man. They'd barely slept since the beginning of this case. "_Look, I know that your mind works in its own special way. But you'll get sick if you don't rest, okay? I'm on my way to the motel right now. It's not a huge detour if I pick you up._"

Spencer breathed a couple of times. To be honest he was relieved by the offer. He was getting absolutely exhausted and the abandoned house was giving him inexplainable creeps. He immediately decided not to ever share the latter observation with Derek – the man would never let him live it down. "Thanks. I'll…" It was just then he noticed it, right there on the pages. The missing variable, the hidden truth behind all this.

Spencer's head spun violently and he felt so sick to his stomach that he actually gagged dryly while bringing one hand to his lips. It felt like the floor under his feet had been disappearing and his whole body started shaking. "Oh no…"

"_Reid?_" Derek's voice was full of worry. "_What is it?_"

And then Spencer heard the steps. The steps that shouldn't have been there.

His heart racing beyond all limitations, Spencer turned slowly. His eyes grew impossibly wide as he faced the person behind him.

"_Reid!_" Derek's voice was loud and frantic but he couldn't even register it anymore. "_Reid, goddamnit, what the hell is going on? Reid!_"

Blood stilled right into Spencer's veins. Sadness filled his eyes while realization dawned. "I should've known that it's you", he breathed out, so quietly that even Derek couldn't hear it.

Sometimes he really hated being right.

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><p>Derek Morgan had never had an actual panic attack. But he suspected what went through him as he sped towards Spencer's location came quite close. When Spencer stopped talking he was almost sure that his heart would simply explode.<p>

"Reid!" He was _screaming_.

He should've _never_, ever left Spencer alone. He should've…

And then, through the rush of his blood and the thunder of his thoughts, he heard the sharp, merciless gunshot. A body fell to the floor, as did Spencer's cell phone.

Tears filled Derek's eyes without him even noticing it. "Reid!" There was no reply, nothing whatsoever. "Spencer!"

The phone call was disconnected.

Derek's hand shook pitiably while he tried to redial Spencer's number but before he ever did his cell phone started ringing. "Reid?" he practically cried out.

"_Morgan?_" Aaron Hotchner sounded alarmed. "_What's going on?_"

Derek gulped convulsively, struggling for words. "Reid… He went to Susan Thompson's house. There was a gunshot." It took a long moment before he managed to speak again. "I… I think he's in trouble."

He heard a car roaring at the other end of the phone. "_I'm already on my way._" With that Aaron hung up.

Derek tossed away his own phone as he accelerated the vehicle even further, hoping and praying from the bottom of his heart that he wasn't too late already.

By the time Derek's car flew to the front yard of a old, clearly very much unloved house two familiar SUVs were already there. It was beyond him how Aaron got there so fast and at the moment he couldn't have cared less.

No longer able to think clearly Derek parked the car so hastily that it was a miracle he didn't cause damage, then jumped out and dashed into the house with such speed that he almost fell down. The entire building appeared empty. There wasn't even a single piece of furniture in the rooms he could see, let alone evidence of people being inside it.

"Reid?" he called out. Nothing but the wind snarling in the corners answered him. "Reid! Hotch! Are you in here?"

It was then Emily Prentiss emerged from a room right beside the staircase upstairs. There was something that looked like tears in her eyes. Her hands and clothes were soaked in red. "Stay there, Morgan. Trust me."

But oh, Derek didn't have the slightest intention of staying put. His eyes narrowing and his heartbeat getting out of control once more he ran, climbing two or three stairs with one step. Emily reached out a hand towards him but there wasn't a thing she could've done to stop him. He didn't freeze until he was actually inside the room and faced the sight there.

The blood was everywhere. And in the middle of it lay Spencer, with Aaron fighting desperately to control the bleeding from the gunshot wound on the younger man's chest. Spencer's half lidded eyes appeared terrifyingly glassy and the man's lips moved although it was impossible to tell what the genius was trying to say. If there wasn't blood there would've been no color on Spencer's face. The younger man was obviously in a state of shock, maybe even worse.

And then Derek moved, blatant despair and sheer terror driving him. Spencer looked at him but it was impossible to tell if the man really saw him. He took the brunet's hand, held on as tightly as he could. "Hey kid." His voice was shaking but he didn't give a damn. He swallowed hard. "Hang in there, okay? You're gonna be fine, but you need to hang on for a bit."

"Did you see the ambulance?" Aaron inquired in a sharp, steely voice. Only the unsteadiness of the unit chief's hands betrayed his true feelings over the situation.

Derek shook his head, unable to speak.

This was a nightmare, right? Nothing but a nasty bad dream.

Just then Spencer's hand shifted slightly in his. A tear, just a single one, slipped to the man's cheek while his body seemed to convulse. This time the words were barely audible but coherent. "I'm sorry." And Spencer closed his eyes.

Derek's heart stopped for two seconds while he shook his head vehemently, fear overloading his entire body. His eyes stung so badly that he was almost sure it'd drive him insane. "No. No, kid, _hell no_."

But Spencer remained limp, unresponsive. Lifeless.

What came next was pure chaos. Paramedics arrived, shouting and pushing him and Aaron out of the way. One of them sighed in a way that said it all. And soon all that was left of Spencer was the blood, already drying against wood.

When he remained paralyzed Aaron's hand grabbed his shoulder. The unit chief's pale skin was completely stained in red and pain was clearly visible in the man's eyes. It was the final proof – this wasn't a dream. "Let's go."

Derek nodded, then followed the older man although his feet barely carried his weight. Outside the room Emily was waiting for them, her arms folded to her chest and her eyes suspiciously red. None of them spoke as they made their way to one of the three SUVs waiting outside, making a soundless decision to let Aaron drive.

The gradually falling night around them was the darkest they'd ever seen.

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><p>Chaos control was a part of Jennifer Jareau's job description. Or was, back when she was still a media liaison. She'd always imagined that it was something she was good at – and she was. But that night nothing could've kept things from falling apart like a house of cards.<p>

The hospital's waiting room was absolutely quiet even though the entire remaining team sat there as she entered. The stench of blood that came from Aaron and Derek's clothes was so heavy that she wanted to throw up. She couldn't understand how the others were able to stand the reek.

All eyes turned towards her when she emitted a quiet, unidentifiable sound from the back of her throat. Expectations and terror were loudly evident in eyes that usually attempted to hide absolutely everything. "Well?" David Rossi was the bold one to ask.

JJ shook her head, swallowing against the bitter taste in her mouth. "They… didn't know anything yet", was the best she managed.

The room sank back into the dark waiting, each person present fighting with their all to keep themselves from falling apart completely.

For some reason JJ's eyes locked with Emily's and a sudden, sharp flashback took her back to the day she'd told the rest of the team that they'd lost her. The brunette's hands were reddish and visibly sore from how she'd brutally attempted to get rid of Spencer blood on her skin. JJ looked away, feeling sick to her stomach all over again, and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't even notice the moisture on her cheeks.

She closed her eyes, and the only thing she could see was Spencer's smile.

Just before leaving the police station he'd started telling her this twisted romance story of a man who slayed everyone responsible for murdering the woman he loved, all the time hoping and praying that he'd be killed as well so he'd get to see her again. Spencer couldn't leave her without telling her how the story ended.

He couldn't just leave her like this.

The room's door opened so suddenly that the group of well trained agents shuddered, caught off guard. The tension could've been cut by a knife when they faced a middle-aged male doctor – Carter – who was still wearing bloodied scrubs.

The look in the doctor's brown eyes warned them long before the man shook his head and whispered. "I… I'm so sorry."

Aaron shuddered like he'd been shot but remained firm, stone hard. David fell back to the chair he'd been occupying with a heartbreaking, utterly defeated expression. Emily turned towards the window so that her face couldn't be seen. Penelope Garcia burst into loud sobs. Derek left the room, almost knocking JJ to the floor on his way out. JJ herself couldn't feel absolutely anything, inside or out.

It was like she'd been shot to death as well.

And just like that a huge part of the world around them fell apart.

None of them noticed the woman who'd been standing in the nearby corridor all along, watching them with ice blue eyes that wouldn't give away anything. She ran a hand through her long, nearly black hair before turning around and walking out of the building without a single glance backwards.

As soon as she made it outside she took her cell phone and dialed numbers. It wasn't a surprise that she was greeted by a answering machine. "It's been done", she announced, then hung up.

As she walked towards her motorcycle she didn't even notice that it began to rain heavily, marking the end of two month drought.

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><p>TBC, OR NOT?<p>

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><p>AN: Poor Reid – and the team, too! (sniffles a bit)

Sooo… The big question goes, do you guys think this is worth continuing or not? **PLEASE**, leave a review and let me know your thoughts! I don't think it's a surprise that it'd mean the world to me. (gives puppy's eyes)

Thank you so much for reading this!

Who knows, maybe I'll see ya again later.

Take care!


	2. Happy birthday, baby boy'

A/N: Yup, I'm baaack, and with a new chapter. (grins) BUT, before going on with the story…

THANK YOU, so much, for those absolutely amazing reviews! (GLOMPS) It's always nervewrecking to start a new story. That's why the love you've given the story thus far means A LOT to me. So thank you! (hugs again)

Awkay… (takes a deep, shuddering breath) I really hope you'll enjoy the ride!

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><p>'Happy birthday, baby boy.'<p>

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><p><em>Two Years Later.<em>

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><p>Unit chief Aaron Hotchner was exhausted, emotionally and physically, as he leaned back in the all too familiar chair of his office, closing his eyes. Attempting to force his body into relaxing didn't help at all. All he heard were Jack's words from only moments ago. His son's tears.<p>

/ _"It's unfair! I miss you, daddy."_ /

Aaron knew, better than well, that Jack wasn't only upset about his work. His son had been forced to accept the absences of his father since the day he was born. If Aaron was perfectly honest with himself for the past couple of years he'd been more or less missing from Jack's life on a much more painful level.

'_It's going to eat you up alive, Aaron_', Haley always told him.

'_If we can't keep each other safe then why are we even doing any of this?_', Spencer Reid asked him once upon a time.

Aaron's eyes shifted to where his badge and gun lay on his desk, right beside a still empty report of resignation.

Some days he understood why Jason Gideon decided that he couldn't take this anymore.

His hand was quick to hide the report when there was a knock on the door of his office. He swallowed once before trusting his voice. "Yes?"

In came David Rossi, who looked like he hadn't slept in days. Such wasn't uncommon after cases like their previous one. "I thought I should come and see how you're holding up. This case… wasn't a joyride."

Aaron gritted his teeth and looked away, his mind flying against his will.

He could still see the gleam in their UnSub's – David Rhye's – eyes. He could still hear the cry Jennifer Jareau emitted when the bullet grazed her arm. He could still see the crimson blood on her clothes.

Just a few inches to the side and they would've lost her, too.

He stood up, his whole body far too restless to let him calm down. He walked to the window that opened a view to the bullpen and for the first time in months opened up the blinds. After sweeping through the team his eyes locked on a particular desk. It looked so very abandoned that it broke his heart although the nameplate had been taken away long since.

"Dave…" He was surprised to discover how uncharacteristically frail and empty his voice sounded. He licked his lips and folded his arms to his chest. "Do you ever wonder if this is all really worth it?"

The older man stood beside him with a grim expression. Dark eyes found the same direction he was staring at. "Every damn day."

They stood there in silence for the longest time, the office around them growing darker as night fell.

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><p>There was a time in the past when Penelope Garcia <em>loved<em> her job. Some days she was still able to remember why she was hanging on. Today wasn't one of them. She dreaded going to the actual bullpen and seeing the desk they hadn't allowed anyone to use since…

She couldn't believe that it was already two years from when they lost Spencer. Two years from when she received Derek Morgan's phone call.

/ _"Hey, hot stuff. Are you any closer to getting home?" she asked._ /

It was the last time she heard Derek cry. She couldn't remember a single thing about the rest of the day.

Just like that one of them had been stolen away. Just like that their family had been shattered.

No matter how many times they almost lost him, somehow they'd always thought Spencer would pull through. That their baby wouldn't be taken away from them.

They should've known that he was only on loan. People like him never stay long.

Those gloomy thoughts were interrupted when she heard Derek's snarl from the bullpen. "… took off your vest before approaching an UnSub, Damascos! He could've killed you!"

"And I was supposed to watch him slaughter a five-year-old?"

Penelope winced.

_Not again…_

Six months after Spencer's death Erin Strauss had finally given Aaron an official order to fill in the empty position. Although they'd known it'd happen eventually none of them had taken the news lightly. Who the heck was someone supposed to fill the empty spot Spencer had left?

Luckily Nadia Damascos – a smallish yet fiery thirty-year-old with a background they knew almost nothing of – hadn't even tried. She was, as Derek called her on better days, their very own C4-girl. Dangerously calm until her temper snapped and terrifyingly sharp. Only few things went unnoticed by her. If she'd joined the team under different circumstances Penelope might've considered her a friend. She couldn't understand how Nadia was still, after two years, able to carry the burden of being somebody's replacement.

It wasn't Nadia's damn fault that she'd been thrown into a grieving family that wanted nothing less than someone new they were supposed to bond with.

Penelope winced again upon facing the sight. There was a look of utter irritation in Derek's eyes and the man's posture was tense, almost threatening. Nadia looked dangerously close to snapping while she ran a hand through her long, almost black hair, her ice-blue eyes flashing with a rollercoaster of emotions.

Penelope cleared her throat, wishing that there was something she could do to ease the tension. The two of them didn't appear any calmer but at least focused on her. That was a small glimpse of hope. "Hey", she greeted, making her way to them. "I just got a call from Emily. She's still in the hospital with JJ. Everything's okay."

Derek nodded, relaxing only marginally. "Good." The man inhaled sharply. "Look, it's been a really long, shitty day. I need to think. I'll see you tomorrow." The agent kissed her forehead, then cast a one more warning look towards Nadia before beginning to walk away with loud, stiff steps. His whole posture was stone hard.

Penelope knew exactly where he was headed. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Watching Derek go Penelope swallowed and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. It didn't chase away the cold.

Kevin had offered to take her away. At the moment she wondered if she should've accepted the deal.

She jumped and squeaked a little with startle when a hand was laid to her shoulder. Turning her head quickly to see who the intruder was she found Nadia's apologetic eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask if you're alright."

Swallowing and blinking rapidly, Penelope looked towards the direction to which Derek had disappeared. Half-subconsciously her hand went to her stomach. "No", she whispered. "I don't think any of us is okay today."

Nadia nodded, seeming to understand. The hand that squeezed her shoulder felt surprisingly comforting. "I'll be finishing up with paperwork if you need me."

Penelope nodded, feeling a hint of gratitude. She really wished Derek wouldn't give this rookie such a hard time. "I know. Thanks."

As soon as she could be sure that Nadia was focused on paperwork Penelope did what she'd come for in the first place. She searched through her handbag with a badly trembling hand, finally finding a candle. Her hands shook even more as she placed the item to Spencer's old desk and lit it, pretending that she didn't notice the tears on her cheeks.

"Happy birthday, baby boy, wherever you are", she whispered. Because really, she much rather remembered this as his birthday than as the anniversary of when _everything_ stopped making sense.

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><p>Emily Prentiss' head hurt. Squinting her eyes against the awfully bright lights of the hospital she couldn't avoid wondering if this was how Spencer felt.<p>

She swallowed, a horrible taste rising into her mouth.

Mercifully her thoughts were coaxed elsewhere when someone moved. Her eyes shifting rapidly, she discovered that JJ was now sitting on the bed of ER. The blonde gave her a look of sympathy. "It's just a scratch, Emily, not a missing limb. I know you're tired – you don't have to stay here and babysit me. We've already been here for ages."

Emily frowned, not liking the idea of leaving her friend behind. The last time they left one of their own all alone… "Are you sure?"

JJ chuckled, nodding. "Yes, I'll be completely fine. It's…"

Just then they both noticed a man approaching them. He was a doctor who seemed to be at around JJ's age. Perfectly messy mahogany hair, incredibly expressive, huge blue eyes… He was most definitely a joy to look at.

Emily's eyebrow bounced up. "I've gotta admit, it looks like you're in good hands."

She was alarmed when JJ didn't reply. In fact there was something she'd never seen before in the woman's eyes. Or no, scratch that. She _had_ seen that look, with one person. She frowned. "JJ?" she tried.

JJ gulped loudly, finally managing to look at her. "You can go home, Emily. I'll be fine."

Emily nodded slowly, her thoughts whirring. Something inside her was screaming that she should've stayed. But she had a massive headache and there was something she needed to do. Hating herself for doing so, for abandoning a friend, she gave the blonde her car keys. "You can drive home. I think I need a walk, to clear my head." Her eyes gained a hard look. "Take care of yourself, okay? And tell Henry I said 'hi'."

JJ tried to smile, really did, but failed. "Yeah, of course I will."

Telling herself that she could be satisfied with that Emily turned around and walked away, past the doctor. It was extremely hard to resist the temptation of looking back.

Once she was out of the building, in fresh air, Emily took her cell phone and dialed numbers. At least for a moment the headache was forgotten.

It took ages before someone finally accepted her call. "_You?_" a slightly bewildered voice inquired in Russian. The voice then hardened. "_I thought I made perfectly clear that I didn't want to hear from you ever again._"

Emily's eyes flashed. "_You know fucking well that you owe me a huge favor_", she growled, also in Russian."_Now there's something I need you to do for me._"

Considering her state of mind, it wasn't a miracle that Emily didn't feel the pair of eyes observing her from the hospital before the shadowy figured disappeared like a ghost.

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><p>As soon as they were left alone JJ focused on the doctor, swallowing hard. Her hands shook while she tried to decide what to do with them.<p>

Dr. Eric Rhodes emitted a loud sigh, walking forward and eventually taking a seat close to her. His hand was a lot more gentle than it had to be when he touched her injured arm. "When I saw your name on the list of patients… My heart stopped for a second."

The past four days had been pure hell because of the case and constant arguments with Will tearing her to pieces. That's why JJ was stunned to discover that she was smiling. She felt warmer than in ages. "I didn't think this would require doctor", she pointed out, noticing only a slight sting when he started tending to her.

Eric's eyes met hers. "I would've never let you go without seeing you for myself, Jennie."

JJ swallowed once more, knowing full well that she was dangling on dangerous waters. Had been since Penelope coaxed her into a grief group one year, five months and three days ago and she met Eric for the first time.

He'd lost his best friend when a mentally ill man walked into the hospital with a gun, shooting five people before he was taken down.

She'd lost _Spence_.

No one understood her like Eric did. Considering that she had Henry, Will and the remaining team it was wrong that he was the first person who managed to make her _feel_ since Spencer was gone – the one who pulled out her first smile. He was the one she called to in the middle of the night, when nightmares and her thoughts got too much.

It'd taken almost a year before the flirt and sexual tension became obvious. Since then JJ hadn't known what to do with herself. She was slowly yet surely losing herself and that scared her senseless.

She'd always sworn to herself that she wouldn't repeat her mother's mistakes. She'd never be able to look into a mirror again without wincing.

But, as she discovered when Eric's much bigger hand covered hers and held on tight, she didn't really manage to care. Instead her fingers held on as well.

Eric smiled. "See?" His accent was close to a British, far from Will's familiar one. "You'll be just fine."

She was powerless against the smile that appeared. "So it seems."

They both shivered slightly when Eric's pager started beeping all of a sudden. After recovering for a second Eric gave it a look and swore under his breath. "It's an emergency. I've gotta go." He focused on her, genuine concern in his eyes that didn't even try to hide anything. "Call me if you need _anything_, okay?"

JJ nodded, licking her lips while her hand tightened around his for a second. Suddenly letting go felt so very hard… "I will." She took a breath, hoping that it'd help her speech sound right. "I'll… see you at the meeting tomorrow."

Eric nodded, then – on an impulse, it seemed – kissed her cheek. "See you tomorrow, Jennie." So saying he began to leave. "Drive safely." And he was gone, like some sort of a dream.

JJ sat completely still for the longest time, barely daring to breathe. Then she wiped her eyes and left the room as fast as possible, almost sure that she could feel Spencer's saddened eyes on her as she went. When she finally made it out of the hospital she took her cell phone into a dangerously unsteady hand and gave it a look. Six missed phone calls from Will, along with three text messages she couldn't bring herself to read at the moment.

Wiping her eyes once more she jumped into Emily's car and decided to head home. She was strong enough not to look back.

There was, however, nothing she could do about the tightness around her chest.

JJ didn't notice the car that began to follow hers.

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><p>Despite the condition he was in Derek was coherent enough the realize that he shouldn't drive. That's why he found himself from a cab at three in the morning, barely sober enough to stay awake to make sure he wouldn't end up robbed.<p>

All he could see as he stared at the car's window were Spencer's eyes when the man lay on the floor of that house, fighting a losing battle over his life.

Derek's eyes narrowed.

It'd been his job to protect Spencer. He'd sworn to himself that he'd make sure the genius wouldn't have to go through any more pain. Instead he'd watched the kid bleeding, _dying_, on his thirty-first birthday. He hadn't even managed to find out who'd pulled the trigger.

_It'll be alright_, everyone kept telling him. He was looking forward to seeing a day when that would finally happen.

'_Morgan!_'

Derek had no idea when he'd closed his eyes but at that very moment they flew open, darted around wildly. All he could see was the darkened vehicle and the cabbie.

_What the hell…?_

Instincts led him, coaxed his head into turning while the cab stopped to a red light. What he saw made Derek's drunken head spin madly.

Right there on the other side of the street stood a man in a long, black jacket. Black hair waved while a breeze of wind that came out of nowhere began playing with them. Chillingly familiar hazel eyes filled with such pain that broke Derek's heart while the man's lips opened. Their eyes locked and held. And although Derek knew it was against all reason, that it was _impossible_, his heart actually stopped in his chest.

Because he _knew_ those eyes. He knew that face.

His hand grabbed the doorhandle so hard that his knuckles turned white – and just then a buss whistled past the cab, missing it with just a couple of inches. Derek couldn't even hear how the cabbie swore loudly. The beating of his by then racing heart filled his ears.

And then the buss disappeared.

There wasn't a trace left of the man on the street. Instead there stood a young couple.

For some reason Derek felt ready to break down into tears. He punched the door out of frustration, so hard that it hurt.

What the hell just happened?

"Hey, buddy, take it easy or you'll walk!" the driver warned, casting a look towards him through the rearview mirror. "Jesus, did you see a ghost or something?"

Derek gave a tiny, wet and bitter laugh, still staring at the street corner. The man he'd seen before didn't reappear. "I…" He gulped, not managing to get rid of the lump in his throat. "I guess I did."

* * *

><p>Entering a office Nadia Damascos made carefully sure that the door was locked, then secured each and every corner. There were no listening devices she would've been able to detect, much less cameras. She was really, truly alone.<p>

Comforted by that knowledge, she took her cell phone and dialed very familiar numbers. Fortunately the response was almost instant. "_Hello?_"

"It's me." Her eyes hardened when she heard steps from the hallway outside the room. She didn't continue until they disappeared. "Are you alone?"

"_Yes. And this line is secure._"

Nadia nodded, allowing herself to relax just a little bit. "We've got a problem." She took something that'd been wrappen into a white napkin from pocket and folded it open. It was a tiny, bloodied microchip. "It seems that Bluethroat decided to attempt flying unattended. What do you want me to do?"

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><p>TBC, OR NOT?<p>

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><p>AN: So… Getting a bit chilly, huh? (shivers) Is Nadia one of the good guys or not? And what the hell is going on?

Do you guys want to find out? **PLEASE**, leave a note to let me know! Aww, c'mon, you know how happy it'd make me. (gives absolutely adorable kitten's eyes)

Until next time, folks, with whichever story that'll be! I really hope I'll be seeing ya around.

Take care!

**AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!**

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><p><strong>abitobsessed<strong>: I'm really happy to hear that you're so eager to read the next one. (beams) I truly hope that it meets your expectations.

Colossal thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>Steph<strong>: That, I shall do. (grins)

Massive thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>Anon<strong>: Oh, how much hearing that means to me! (beams) I really hope you'll enjoy the next one as well.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


	3. I see him, too'

A/N: First off, I'm so, so sorry that updating took me a bit longer than usual this time! I've been insanely busy lately. It's a good thing that my head hasn't blown up yet. (winces)

BUT, before getting to the business… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all your love and support! (GLOMPS) It felt so good to write, knowing that so many of you want to see this story continue. (beams) So thank you! You guys rock.

Awkay… Let's get going, no? I really hope you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

><p>'I see him, too.'<p>

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed by. Autumn began to grow colder and a chilly breeze seemed to be present constantly.<p>

Derek shivered slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position while writing a yet another case report. Hard as he tried the words began to blur before his very eyes. He rubbed his eyes, unleashing a frustrated growl.

"Looks like someone could use a hug."

It took a second before Derek recognized Penelope's voice. Against all odds a tiny smile appeared when he looked at her. "Hey, Baby Girl." He then frowned. "What are you still doing here, at this hour?"

"I'm just waiting for Kevin to pick me up." One of her eyebrows bounced up. "I should ask you the same thing."

Derek shrugged, looking away from her. It was already dark outside. Rain was falling loudly. "I… just don't feel like going home yet, I guess." He swallowed, unable to keep the words from coming any longer. "There's… Something weird happened a while ago. I still don't know what to think about it."

After a second Penelope took the nearest chair she could find, then sat right in front of him. "Sharing it might help", she suggested quietly.

It was very possible that she'd think he was crazy, or at least that he should get his eyesight tested. But that wouldn't stop him. "Two weeks ago, when I was going home… I saw him." His throat was so choked that it hurt to speak and there seemed to be something wrong with his eyes as well. "For a few seconds he was standing there looking at me, and then… he was gone." He didn't feel like adding that he'd been drinking quite a bit that night. He sounded pathetic enough as it was.

Penelope was silent for the longest time until she spoke so quietly that he had to really focus to hear. "I see him, too. All the time."

He looked at her with a slow blink. "What?"

Penelope wiped her cheeks swiftly. There was a tiny, sad smile on her lips. "Just… Just this morning there was this man taking pictures in a park across the street from mine and Kevin's house. That man… He looked so much Reid that I…" She trailed off but no more words would've been needed, anyway. He understood.

The weight that'd been sitting on Derek's chest eased ever so slightly. "So you don't think that I'm losing it?"

Penelope shook her head. This time her smile wasn't such a sad one. "No, I don't." Then, so unexpectedly that it startled him at first, she leaned closer and pulled him into a tight, nearly desperate embrace.

After hesitating for a moment Derek hugged her back, burying his face into her shoulder and holding on as tightly as he possibly could.

They were most definitely a mess. He wondered what it'd take to get them back together again.

* * *

><p>Aaron was just about to leave the building for the day when there was a knock on his office's door. Erin Strauss didn't wait for a permission before entering. There was a dark look on her face. "I've been meaning to come and talk to you for a while, now", she announced.<p>

Aaron frowned. "Can't this wait? Jack is waiting for me."

Erin's eyes promised nothing good. "This has been waiting for far too long." She sighed and took a seat. "Aaron… It's been over two years. You do know that, right?"

Aaron gritted his teeth, feeling a stab inside. "Of course I do." How the hell was he supposed to forget?

Erin met his eyes. "Your team… It's still in pieces. I've thought that if I give it time things may get better, but… It doesn't look like there's been any progress."

Aaron's eyes flashed while a furious need to defend his team – his family – rose. "Let me assure you, they're coping the best as they can. Dealing with a loss like that takes time."

Erin's expression revealed that she was far from pleased by his answer. "What about Nadia Damascos? Have they accepted her yet?"

Aaron folded his arms. "I told you that it was too soon to assign a replacement", he pointed out with the very little patience he had left.

"She's never been a replacement, Aaron." Erin's voice was soft, much different from what he'd grown accustomed to. "She's a new agent who's trying to settle in. And your team isn't making it easy."

Aaron gritted his teeth again, counted to ten. "I've talked to her about it. She understands."

"I know she does. But that doesn't change the fact that something needs to change." She ran a hand through her hair. "Your team… It won't be able to function properly like this. And if it's not able to do its job I have no other choice but to divide it."

Aaron frowned, feeling chills all over his body. "What do you want me to do?"

Getting up, Erin gave him a one last look before heading towards the door. "Whatever it takes. Good luck." So saying she'd left.

Suddenly the office felt much darker and colder than it had before.

* * *

><p>The day Will LaMontagne brought home a punching bag JJ rolled her eyes and groaned. Although she had to admit that the thought of him venting his frustration on the bag, all sweaty and panting, was sort of arousing she called the item 'a toy for big boys'.<p>

It's funny how things twist around sometimes.

Although she wore heavy bandages JJ's fists were sore and bloodied while they poured out absolutely everything on the defenseless item.

Dr. Eric Rhodes.

Will.

Spencer.

She'd never lived in a bubble. Although she was grateful for everything fate had granted her she'd always known that it could be taken from her. After all, fate had stolen a sister from her when she was just a child.

But Spencer… Spencer was supposed to be one of those few constant things in her life. That's why she'd been thrown off course when he'd shut down on her after Emily's return. Now he was _gone_. And when one pillar disappeared from holding her life together more followed soon.

Tears burned in JJ's eyes when she punched the bag once again, feeling Eric's hand on her skin. Seeing the look in his eyes.

Will used to look at her that way, too.

JJ cried out of startle and frustration when all of a sudden someone grabbed her from behind, pulling her close. One of her fists rose while she broke free and spun around – only to find Will's slightly scared face.

He lifted his hands in surrender. "Hey, easy, easy. I come in peace."

Taking deep, unsteady breaths JJ let the fist fall. It trembled. "You should know better than to sneak up on me when I train."

Will scoffed, folding his arms. "What difference does it make? These days I don't know how to approach you, no matter what I do."

JJ's eyes narrowed out of the physical hurt those words brought. "That's not fair. You knew what you were getting yourself into the day we became an item. You knew it wouldn't be easy."

The look in Will's eyes broke her heart and made her want to scream at the same time. "It's been two years! Two years, and you're still somewhere far away from here."

For a while JJ stared at him, her body close to the state of shock. Underneath it all rage bubbled, as dangerous and unstable as fire. "Do you seriously think that this is still all just about Spencer?"

"Then what the hell is this all about?" Will rarely raised his voice, let alone swore, when Henry was in the house. It showed just how deep the hole they'd fallen into was. His face was a mask of despair. "How am I supposed to know what's going on if you won't even talk to me? Am I supposed to be a profiler, too?"

JJ was exhausted, on the edge of breaking down and so angry that she was shaking. She couldn't stand listening to this anymore. "I need a shower", was all she managed. With those words she walked away, passing Will by so fast that he couldn't even try to stop her.

It was when JJ made it to the bathroom, behind a closed door and under a freezing cold shower, the damns finally broke.

Hurting all over so much that it made her feel sick she brought one hand to her lips and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, then broke down into bitter tears that got lost into the shower water.

* * *

><p>The following afternoon the rain finally stopped. The teammembers had looks of confusion and suspicion on their faces as they gathered into David Rossi's living room. For some reason Aaron had summoned them there instead of the office. Now the unit chief and their host for the day were waiting for the rest of them with unreadable looks on their faces.<p>

"Well, now that we're here…", Emily began with a frown. "Care to tell us what we're doing here? We should be working on a case."

"I asked Strauss for a day off. She agreed", Aaron replied, eyeing all of them. "We've all been under immense stress lately. We need a break."

None of them could really argue with that.

"So…" David rubbed his hands together with a slight grin. "How does a day off with some homecooked Italian and Chaplin –movies sound?"

That most certainly loosened up the slightly stiff air around them. For the first time in who knows how long JJ smiled freely. Derek and Nadia actually exchanged grins. Emily's eyes lit up. Aaron's facial muscles relaxed.

Penelope, on the other hand, took the two steps separating her from David and gave the man a big, loud kiss to the cheek. "Oh, David Rossi, I can't help but love you sometimes."

Derek chuckled. "I thought I was your one true love."

She winked at him. "I have enough love for both of you, my Chocolate Adonis."

While the rest of them began to pick which movies to see Penelope helped David in the kitchen. She sighed happily while taking a sniff of the foods. "Mmm… I can't wait to get a taste. I bet this is all heavenly."

David grinned. "Well of course. I'm the one who cooked."

He began pouring wine – but blinked with surprise when she placed her hand above one of the glasses. He looked at her with the question loud and clear in his eyes.

Penelope cleared her throat, feeling some heat on her cheeks. Her free hand twitched instinctively towards her stomach. "If… If it's okay I'll stick to water."

A warm, almost fatherly smile appeared as he understood. He nodded. "Water for you it is."

In a few moments they joined the others. Penelope was glad to discover that they seemed too preoccupied by the movies to notice that she didn't enjoy all the treats they did.

And so they sat there for the longest time. Penelope on the couch with Derek's arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders, Nadia surprisingly close to the man and JJ on Penelope's other side. Emily sat on the floor before them, firmly focused on the movie. A slight distance away from them Aaron and David exchanged pleased, knowing looks.

It was the first time in over two years they were able to _be_ around each other without the feeling of something being missing crushing them. It was also the first time the seven of them – Nadia included – felt at least something like a family. Aaron could've sworn he felt Spencer watching them.

* * *

><p>Several hours later Nadia was just leaving David's house when her cell phone bleeped to announce that she'd received a text message. With a frown she took a look – and felt everything inside of her freeze.<p>

It was a picture of her entering David's house.

And then came another picture, this time of the apartment building where she lived. It was, however, the third picture that sent her head spinning and pulled a terrified, wounded gasp out of her.

In the picture a girl at around the age of six with long, black hair and big, just as dark eyes was looking towards the camera with a bright smile.

Someone's chuckle made her jump with startle. Her hand twitched towards her concealed weapon before Derek spoke. "You look like you'd seen a ghost."

_If only you knew…_ She forced a tiny smile. "It was just… a very old friend I'd rather not hear from."

Derek nodded. "Do you need a ride home?"

She shook her head, trying not to let the storm blowing inside to her face. "No thanks. I only had two glasses of wine hours ago. I'm good to drive."

"Okay." He gave her a tiny wave, moving towards his car. "See you tomorrow."

She nodded slowly, desperately trying to keep herself from shaking. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

As soon as she made it to her car Nadia pulled in several nearly hyperventilating breaths, her head spinning even worse than before. After what felt like a lifetime she finally reached out towards her cell phone with a badly unsteady hand and dialed very familiar numbers.

"_The number you have dialed cannot be reached…_"

Nadia swallowed, feeling dizzy and choked.

She was very, very deep in a mess. And she was in it all alone.

* * *

><p>Much later that evening in a crowded, loud café Emily's eyes moved swiftly when steps approached her. A bald, blue eyed man in his mid-forties didn't appear pleased while taking a seat right in front of her. She wasn't surprised. Andrei Pavlov wasn't exactly one of her best friends.<p>

"_A public place_", Andrei observed in Russian. "_You haven't changed._"

Emily glanced towards his black leather jacket, paying attention to the outlines she saw. Three knives and a gun. "_Neither have you._"

He folded his arms and leaned back. Straight to business, as always. "_So… What do you want from me?_"

Her eyes narrowed. "_Before I'll tell you anything there's something I want to know._" Her eyes darted around, spotting no one suspicious but Andrei's bodyguard, a badly scarred, middle-aged man with long dirty-blond hair and tiny pig's eyes, who stood a slight distance away. She refocused on Andrei. "_I've been followed around lately. Have you sent one of yours?_"

Andrei shook his head with a frown. There was no lie in his eyes. "_No. I've tried, remember? I know what'd happen to them._"

Emily felt a shiver. If the one – perhaps even several people – following her hadn't been sent by Andrei then who was behind it? She soon decided to chase that thought away for the time being. Andrei lost his patience quickly. "_I need you to help me find out who killed a friend of mine. I'd do it myself but I can't find anything useful through official routes. I know you have contacts._" She went on once seeing his suspicious look. "_Don't worry, you'll get a decent reward for you efforts. Have I ever lied to you?_"

Andrei's eyes hardened. "_Once you find this killer… What are you going to do to him?_"

Her eyes flashed while she gritted her teeth, hard. "_I'll kill him._" It was simple, honest. "_I'll skin him alive._"

Andreid nodded. It took a moment before the man spoke. "_Tell me everything you know and I'll see what I can do._"

Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes observing them from the opposite side of the café.

* * *

><p>Night was already falling on a cemetery when steps paused before a certain grave. The visitor's eyes drifted on the words engraved to stone.<p>

'_Spencer Reid_

_A beloved member of family_'

Just one glimpse revealed that the grave had been looked after with a lot of love and affection. Despite the cold there were several blossoming flowers and even with the best of wills it was impossible to spot a single leaf that might've strayed from the nearby trees.

This man was loved greatly, even after his death. That much became clear instantly.

As though deciding to stop wasting time the arrival took a tiny item and placed it in front of the stone before walking away hastily. In the cemetery's barely existent light it was a struggle to see what'd been left behind.

It was a star, exactly similar to the one Spencer Reid put together for Emily Prentiss once upon a time.

* * *

><p>TBC, OR NOT?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Uh huh… (shudders) Chilly, no?

So… Was that any good, at all? **PLEASE** leave a note on your thoughts. It'd mean the world to me. Pwease…?

GOOD NEWS! I've had time to plan on the future of this story. If you want this to continue this would be around 14 or 15 chapters long. I've got a pretty solid storyline for the rest. So… Would you like to see this continue?

IN THE NEXT ONE WOUD BE: Several members of the team sail towards dangerous waters. One doesn't notice something they should, and another sees too much. The entire net around the team begins to tighten…

Until next time, folks, whether it's with this story or some other!

Take care!

* * *

><p><strong>abitobsessed<strong>: They are, aren't they? (sighs) Let's hope this one gets a happier note.

I really hope that the next one's all you've been waiting for!

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>Steph<strong>: Oh, I'm so glad to hear you are! (beams)

I really hope that you'll remain just as hooked in the future…

HUGE thank yous for the fantastic review!


	4. I found something'

A/N: Yup, I'm baack. (grins) This chapter's been cooking up slowly yet surely. I'm so happy to be able to give you guys a regular update. (beams) Yay?

First off, MASSIVE thank yous for those absolutely amazing reviews! (HUGS) I've been… feeling a bit blue lately. You can't even imagine how much better you've made me feel. So THANK YOU! (glomps once more)

Awkay… (takes a deep) Off to the unnerving part. I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride, folks!

* * *

><p>'I found something.'<p>

* * *

><p><em>Three Weeks Later.<em>

* * *

><p>People rarely expect monsters to be lurking around in broad daylight. That's why no one paid particular attention to the person working on a car that early morning. Fast, skilled hands made three more adjustments before the job was finished.<p>

If that car would hold on for longer than a couple of hours it was a miracle. And then all hell would break loose.

There was a swift glance towards a slightly oily wristwatch. Two minutes and thirty seconds until the car's actual owner would approach the vehicle. It was time to leave.

The lone figure emerged from underneath the car and slipped away before anyone had the time to notice, disappearing like nasty bad dream that left a bitter aftertaste.

Distant words could just be heard. "_Hi, I came to reclaim my car from a repair…_"

* * *

><p>At the age of forty-six Dr. Fiona Fox was a widely recognized, skilled psychiatrist. It was her reputation that offered her the opportunity to work for the FBI. But never during her career had she faced a challenge like this particular BAU-team.<p>

Erin Strauss had sent them to her care two weeks prior, with a message that the team had suffered a massive trauma and needed a lot of help to work through it. The further Fiona dug during her meetings with each member of the team the clearer picture she got of just how much work there was ahead of her. The death of Spencer Reid was just the tip of the iceberg.

Almost every member of the team had suffered some type of a trauma in their childhood. Those traumas led to severe issues with trust and bonding. They barely had the courage to rely on one another. That feeble trust had been tested many times; with the departures of Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon, with Emily's faked death…

Every single one of them had almost lost their lives in the line of duty.

They'd all suffered immense losses before Spencer.

And to each and every single one of them the BAU-family was pretty much the truest one they had. Their dedication to stand firm and walk through the fire time after time shocked Fiona.

How much further would this team be able to go before there'd be too many scars?

Fiona sighed and shook her head, her green eyes darkening while she started to make notes on her latest session with Penelope Garcia. It hadn't been easy. They'd started working on a family tree, one Penelope could show her child when the baby was born. Thirty-two minutes was how long the blonde managed to hold it together. They both knew it wasn't just morning sickness that chased the woman out of her office and into toilet.

A determined knock shook Fiona out of her thoughts. She moved a strand of long, cherry wood colored hair behind her ear and let her gaze travel to the room's door. She wasn't entirely surprised to find Aaron Hotchner. "Garcia ran past me when I was on my way here. I'm taking that as a sign that the session didn't go smoothly."

Fiona had to fight not to frown. That was one thing that bothered her about this team. They were a family yet they rarely called each other by their first names. She'd made it clear from day one that she never wanted to be 'Dr. Fox'. Most of them failed to grant her wish. "It wasn't a joyride", she admitted honestly. "But she's trying her hardest."

Aaron nodded, taking a deep breath. He appeared exhausted enough to fall right down. There was something close to despair in his eyes. "They all are", he pointed out, immediately defensive.

"What about you?" Her eyes sharpened, focused on the fine lines on his face. In an instant he became tense. She gave him a tiny, slightly saddened smile. "So far you've cancelled every single one of our sessions. But you need to understand that to function properly the team needs a leader who isn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders."

Aaron's eyes were harder and sharper than usual when they focused on her. He folded his arms, took a step towards the door. "I'm alright, Dr. Fox."

Her eyebrow arched. "Is that so? Then why do you look like you haven't slept in a week?" She leaned forward, almost enough so the breach the firm lines of his private space. "You need and deserve the chance to talk to someone just as much as your team does. You lost someone, too, and your loss is just as great as theirs."

Aaron stared at her for the longest time, the look on his face never changing. The only things that lived were his eyes which never left hers. "What do you want me to say?" he asked in the end, perhaps slightly more harshly than he'd intended.

Fiona smiled. "So far I've only learned to know Spencer through his death and how it affected those close to him. Why don't you tell me about his life?"

At first Aaron was perfectly still, stared at her with those eyes of a threatened wild animal. Then, surprising her, the man took the six steps separating them and took the chair close to her.

* * *

><p>Penelope didn't know how many times she threw up before her stomach was finally at least close to settled. Some tears ran down her cheeks while <em>everything<em> crept up her throat.

Guilt. Grief. Joy. Rage. Fear.

She gasped several times until she dared to try her dangerously unsteady feet. She almost cried out of relief when they supported her weight. Perhaps things were finally looking up.

"Pull yourself together, Penelope", she whispered to herself.

She took another breath, feeling much stronger already. Moving almost on autopilot she rinsed her mouth and wiped it, then made her way out of the toilet – only to face Derek.

She yelped, jumping backwards. Her heart was still thumping madly while her eyes narrowed. "Derek Morgan, you almost gave me a heart attack!" she snarled in a far from steady voice.

His eyes were sincerely apologetic when he kissed her forehead. "Sorry, baby girl. I just came in to check up on you." He frowned. "Have you been… sick?"

She swallowed and gulped thickly. Of course she'd known that this moment was inevitable but she would've much rather faced it later. "It's… It's what morning sickness does", she noted quickly, offhandedly. Then, trying to shake away the revelation, she began to make her way away. "Now, are we going back already? The case…"

She was naïve enough to believe that Derek would cut her some slack, perhaps even miss her words entirely. She should've known better, for almost in an instant she heard his voice and felt his hand around her wrist. "Not so fast." There was a gentle if not slightly hurt look in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She licked her lips and ran a hand through her hair, fighting the urge to bring her hand to her stomach. "I just… There's been so much going on." She didn't have to clarify. "The time never seemed right." She looked down, towards the tiny bulge. "I guess that this all still doesn't feel real to me."

Derek nodded, a gentle look in his eyes. "Have you told Kevin yet?"

She shook her head, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the mere thought. "I've been avoiding him while trying to find the courage. I think I'll tell him tonight."

A tiny smile appeared to his face. He stroked her cheek comfortingly. "Don't worry. He'll be ecstatic."

Penelope managed to smile as well. "I hope so."

They were both startled when David made his way to them with a somewhat grim expression. "We need to go. Lyons was just spotted."

Derek felt a shudder, a familiar rush of adrenaline.

This time their case had been local. Five murdered girls, from ages of 14 to 16. It hadn't taken them long time figure out that their UnSub was a teacher named Wylon Lyons. Finding the man had proven to be far more problematic.

Derek's eyes gleamed as he glanced towards Penelope. "C'mon, I'm walking you to your lair before we go."

* * *

><p>The air in the car was thick and heavy while Aaron drove with David sitting right beside him. Both men had been quiet for so long that breaking the silence felt unnatural.<p>

In the end it was David who spoke first. "I've been waiting for a proper chance to talk to you." He glanced towards Aaron, wondering if he really should pour this on the man. "You told me that you were sure there's something… strange about Nadia Damascos. I used my contacts to find out something."

Aaron's eyebrows knitted together. The unit chief gave him a swift glance. "What did you find out?"

David took a look outside. When did the clouds hide the sun? "There was… nothing, Aaron. Only a record of her birth parents, some school reports and proof that she's graduated from the academy. It was all clean."

A shadow crossed Aaron's face. "Too clean."

David nodded. "The rest was classified." He inhaled, smelling strong coffee and tobacco. "Have you ever wondered why she never tells anything about herself? And when she does it feels… rehearsed. Like she's telling us somebody else's story."

Aaron gritted his teeth. "I have. And that's why I asked Garcia to run an unofficial track on her phone records. She's been calling a certain untraceable phone number several times a day for the past six months until she stopped three weeks ago. She must've realized that we're on to her."

David's eyebrow bounced up while chills crossed him. "What are you going to do with her?"

Aaron breathed heavily. "I don't know. And I'm going to keep an eye on her until I do."

* * *

><p>JJ had no clue how long it was from the last time she'd actually been home. Up until now she'd kept herself busy with the case and everything it brought along. She'd even managed to talk herself out of having to participate to the therapy.<p>

But now it was time to face the inevitable because something, a hunch perhaps, had chased her out of the office in the middle of a hectic case. She took a deep breath, then opened the front door. "Henry? Will? Are you guys home?"

There was no answer. In an instant JJ's heart squeezed into a tight, tiny ball. Her feet led her to the kitchen before her head could even process it. Will was supposed to get her car from a mechanic that morning. It was five hours ago. What if something had…?

What she found from the kitchen table, however, cut all those thoughts. There was a brief letter from Will.

'_I need to think things through so I'm taking Henry to New Orleans – it's been a while. It looked like you needed the space as well. We'll be back in a few days. Then we'll have a proper talk._

_I'm sorry for leaving like this but you're never around so I really couldn't explain face to face, either. I really hope we'll both figure out everything we need to._

_-Will_'

For the longest time JJ stood there, paralyzed by such pain that made it hard to breathe. Tears filled her eyes but didn't manage to spill while her body shook violently. And then she was moving.

She knew that it was a huge mistake. That she might just end up destroying everything she'd fought for. But that didn't stop her.

She rang a doorbell. In less than a blink Dr. Eric Rhodes opened the door, looking like he'd just emerged from a shower. He frowned as he took a look at her face. "Jennie?"

In her emotional turmoil JJ forgot her cell phone. That's why she couldn't possibly receive Aaron's calls. She also couldn't know of the ten other phone calls that arrived.

Eventually a message was left to her answering machine. "_This is nurse Nina Hendricks from Memorial Hospital. I'm sorry to leave you a message but I haven't been able to reach you. There's been an accident. Your son and husband were brought here earlier today. I'd suggest you come here as soon as possible._"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile the rest of the team stood outside a huge, almost frighteningly normal looking white house that had two floors and a basement. The quiet, suburban neighborhood went on with its daily life, blissfully unaware of the horrors that'd taken place inside those four walls. Derek guessed that Gwen Lyons had no idea of what'd take place in the house when she decided that her son would have it once she was gone.<p>

Derek gave Aaron a demanding look when the unit chief put away his cell phone. "Well?"

The man shook his head, his face even more serious than usual. "I still couldn't get a hold of JJ." Dark eyes swept through the team present. "The same team from the local police that's been keeping an eye on the house went through it as soon as it was confirmed that Lyons is inside. They're still in there. So far they haven't found him but it's clear that he hasn't left the house. So go in with extreme caution, understood? There's no knowing what's waiting for us." The unit chief went on after receiving nods. "Damascos, you'll come to the basement with me. Dave and Prentiss, you go through the first floor. Morgan, call Garcia and tell her to find out if Lyons has another online broadcast on right now. He may have new girls in there."

Derek nodded stiffly. He hated the idea of being left behind like this but Aaron's plan sounded reasonable. While the others left he stood absolutely still, feeling his pulse speed out of control.

Perhaps the bubbling irritation was what sharpened his eyesight. Because all of a sudden he noticed something in the second floor of the house. Something so subtle that he almost missed it.

A curtain moved before a tiny window. A shadow could just be seen.

His pupils dilated.

_Shit…!_

Quickly, without thinking, he brought a hand to his earpiece. "He's upstairs!" He didn't know who heard, didn't care. It was likely that the whole team did. "I just saw him. He's right there. I'm going in."

"_Morgan…!_" Whatever Aaron said he ignored it. He was already moving.

The house looked chillingly normal on the inside. Soft, calm colors a woman would choose. Old furniture. Pictures of happy people, animals and beautiful landscapes on the walls. It was highly likely that Wylon hadn't touched a thing after his mother's death.

Derek took a deep breath, then walked up the stairs with his gun prepared. Someone was moving upstairs. He wondered if it was Wylon, a member of his team or a cop from the local police.

The stairs didn't even squeak under Derek's feet. He didn't make a sound at all. Slightly reassured, Derek secured his surroundings as he stood above the stairs. All he saw was a tiny, oddly dusty room. He frowned.

It didn't make sense…

"_We already secured the second floor. So did the police_", came David's voice through his earpice. "_There was no one. Lyons must've moved elsewhere. Get out of there._"

Derek felt compelled to obey, up until the point where he heard a tiny thud from behind the wall right in front of him. The frown on his face deepening he made his way to the wall, let his hand fumble.

His breath shuddered until he gasped at the sound of something moving. And then the wall opened before him, revealing a new room. "I found something", he whispered, his voice tight with excitement.

He stepped in, fighting the urge to cough as dust and something much more sickening filled his nose. The only light came from the room's small window. He still saw no one.

He already wondered if he'd been mistaken, after all, until the door closed behind him, sealing him inside. And then there were steps, right behind him.

Derek barely had the time to spin around, to see a badly disheveled and very naked, sickly skinny man with filthy brown hair and haunted pale blue eyes. Then he couldn't do anything anymore.

The blow was so hard that it left Derek breathless long before he crashed violently at a bookshelf and took it down with him. The fall and the hit left his head spinning.

From what sounded like miles away he heard Emily's voice. "_Morgan! Morgan, what the hell is going on?_"

He didn't get the chance to reply because Wylon was already looming above him. There was a bizarre, chilling look in the man's eyes when they met his. "You weren't supposed to find me. You weren't supposed to come here." It took only a second before he noticed the gun in the man's hand – _his_ gun. When _the hell_ did Wylon have the time to snatch it? "Don't you understand? They're safe here, with me. I'll take good care of them." The gun was pointed at his head. "We don't want intruders."

Derek's eyes widened as he stared at the gun. In an instant the whole chilling reality crashed down on him.

The others would never get to him in time. He wouldn't be able to make a move before the gun would be fired. He was going to die in the hands of a sick, naked man. It felt like some sort of a sick nightmare.

And then a gun was fired.

There was no pain. There was… nothing. Derek's heart was still hammering. He could still hear the rush of his own blood. Wylon kept staring at him.

Then his eyes spotted the tiny trail of blood that ran down the other man's neck. In a beat the stream grew and the man started shaking. And then Wylon fell to the floor. It wasn't until then Derek saw the gunshot wound that shattered the back of the serial killer's skull. His eyes widened all over again.

Who the hell…?

His head moved slightly – and that was when he saw the person stood on the rooftop of a house across the street. Glowed, steady hands held on to a sniper gun. His eyes traveled upwards. And at that very moment Derek's whole world began to spin.

Right there on the rooftop stood no one other than Spencer Reid, wearing all black clothes. His best friend who'd gotten shot to the chest, his best friend he'd _buried_. Derek _knew_ although it was against all reason, although he knew all too well that it was impossible. There was a look of guilt, fury and grief on the younger man's face.

'_I'm sorry_', those eyes spoke.

"Reid!" Derek tried to sream but his voice disapperared somewhere along the way. But despite all his unvoiced prayers the other man gave him a one more look, then turned around and began to leave. His eyes blurred and stung. "Reid, please…!"

Derek attempted to push himself up with the sheer power of stubbornness but as soon as he moved slightly he stumbled right back down. He groaned when a stab of pain went through his skull. Frustrated, outraged and confused he brought a hand to the back of his throbbing head, then gave it a look. A shiver crossed him.

There was blood on his fingertips.

Derek's head began to sway so that it was almost impossible to keep his eyes open. Feeling more helpless than ever in his life he forced his eyes back towards where who could only be Spencer was rapidly disappearing from his line of vision.

The dizziness finally taking him down Derek slumped all the way to the floor. "Reid…!" He wondered if he even managed to say that out loud.

The last thing he saw was Spencer's figure disappearing completely. He never heard the steps running towards him before darkness swallowed him up.

* * *

><p>TBC, riiiight?<p>

* * *

><p>AN: The story's thickening. Could it be that Morgan really saw who he thought he did? What the HECK is going on?

**PLEASE**, leave a note and let me hear from you! It'd SERIOUSLY make my day. (gives one's best pleading look) Pwease…? Perhaps I have some virtual chocolate chip cookies… (winks)

IN THE NEXT ONE: Suspicions are all around and nobody's getting off too easy. One is beginning to realize the price of their mistakes while two are about to commit potentially lethal ones… Is any guardian angel enough this time?

Until next time, folks, with whichever project that may be!

Take care!

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><p><strong>Joyce Smith<strong>: You just made me blush at my laptop, ya know? Quite… disturbing. (chuckles)

I really hope that the new chapter won't disappoint you, either.

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>Steph<strong>: I'm really proud to hear that the story's gotten you so compelled. (beams) We'll see what's up ahead next – and if Reid's still out there somewhere…

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


	5. Don't follow the golden dragon'

A/N: Oh yes, the new chapter is here. Be that a good thing or bad. (grins sheepishly)

But of course, first… WOAH! You guys, thank you so much for the absolutely amazing reviews! This story's received so much love lately. (BEAMS, and glomps ya all) THANK YOU! You can't even imagine how much your support means to me.

Alright… (takes a deep breath) It's time to get going, no? I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

><p>'Don't follow the golden dragon'<p>

* * *

><p>The hospital's emergency ward was surprisingly quiet while most of the still remaining BAU-family sat in the waiting room, all of them deep in thought and grim expressions upon their pale faces.<p>

They'd come very, very close to losing another member of their team that day. So close that the aftershock was still lingering on their skins and deep inside them. It was a miracle that Derek was still alive.

While Emily was pacing around and Nadia stared out the window, looking like she was somewhere else entirely, David approached Aaron in a far corner of the room. "I just spoke to captain Nash." The older man gritted his teeth, seeming to tremble slightly. "The bullet that killed Lyons… It didn't come from one of our guns or from one of his men's. There was an outsider who decided to help us."

Aaron shivered and frowned. "Any description?"

David shook his head. "No one saw a thing. The guy came and went like some kind of a ghost. Didn't leave behind anything but the bullet in Lyons." The agent's eyes darkened. "I talked to a ballistics expert. During the time of the shooting it was windy and sun was shining from a difficult angle. The bullet also came from a gun that isn't the easiest to handle. Firing a shot like that… It'd require an expert."

Aaron sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Do you think we should tell the team?"

David shook his head, glancing towards the women present. "Let's keep this between us for now, until the police has investigated further. But we'll have to keep our eyes open. Either we have one heck of a guardian angel or a huge problem."

Both men tensed up when the room's door opened. Penelope barged in, looking like she'd been crying. "Have you heard anything?"

Emily shook her head but tried to smile slightly. "No, but Morgan's a tough cookie. He'll be just fine."

It was around then JJ also walked in, her face pale and hair disheveled. There was a distraught expression on her face as she looked at Aaron. "I'm sorry that I disappeared, but there was… an emergency, at home." She swallowed, running a hand through her hair. "I heard of this when I returned to the office."

Aaron nodded, signalling that they were cool for now. But they'd have to talk later. If nothing else he wanted to ask if she was alright, for she looked anything but.

But questions could wait, for at the moment Derek's doctor – a woman with shortcut dark hair and sharp brown eyes called Dr. Castiel – walked in. She immediately got all their attention. "How is he?" Aaron inquired.

Dr. Castiel smiled. "He's already awake and arguing with the staff over whether he should spend the night or not. I'd recommend it. The now sutured cut on the back of his head wasn't deep but it looks like agent Morgan managed to get himself quite a concussion."

"Can we see him?" Penelope asked, her eyes wide with still swirling shock.

The doctor nodded. "He may be slightly groggy from the concussion and pain medication but I think he'd be calmer with some visitors. But please, don't overwhelm him. I don't see how the staff would be able to handle him if he'd get any further agitated than he is."

Emily chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll be gentle on him."

Following the directions to Derek's room Aaron managed to breathe just a little bit more easily. Somehow he had a feeling that they were nowhere near out of the woods yet.

* * *

><p>JJ was on her way to follow the others when a young nurse with bluish green eyes and shortcut brown hair approached her. 'Amelie Echeart' said her nametag. There was a sad look in the nurse's eyes that chilled her. "I've seen you on TV. You're… Jennifer Jareau, right?"<p>

She nodded slowly, chills going through her. "I am. Why?"

The nurse swallowed thickly. "We've… been trying to call you all day. There's been a car crash – your son and husband were involved. They're in the intensive care unit."

At first JJ's whole body paralyzed for a couple of seconds, then kickstarted with such force that it took her breath away. And then she was running.

JJ had always been athletic. It took her only a blink that felt like a decade to reach the intensive care unit. She barged in – and froze completely. Will was sitting there on one of the long hallway's chairs, wearing a hospital gown, bruised all over and with a rather big, stitched up wound on his forehead. But he was there, alive, breathing and conscious. And that was what made the damns break.

Tears filling her eyes she sprinted to where he was sitting and wrapped her arms tightly, desperately, around him, burying her forehead into his familiar shoulder.

She barely heard Will hiss slightly. "I'm… I'm a bit sore, okay?"

JJ tried to loosen her hold but couldn't. Her whole body was shaking from shock. "I thought I'd lost you", she whispered in a watery voice, her head spinning madly. "I… I thought I'd…" She trailed off.

It wasn't until after a couple of seconds the tiny sounds became audible. Will was crying, too. "I'm sorry", the man whispered in a broken voice she'd never, ever heard before. "I'm so sorry."

It took a moment before JJ understood his words. When she did she shook her head, futilely trying to swallow down her own tears. Her chest felt so tight that she was almost sure her whole ribcage would break. "Not your fault."

She had no idea how long they stayed there before hearing slow, almost cautious steps. They turned to look and her body filled with cold. Stood only a couple of steps away was Dr. Eric Rhodes, his eyes full of shock, guilt and something else entirely.

So this was what was going on when he was called into the hospital because of a car crash that had six victims. Thinking of that at the moment made JJ want to vomit.

Will let go of her, making her feel even colder than before, then wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. "Jayje, this is my doctor, Eric…"

She nodded without thinking, feeling sick to her stomach as well as this bizarre, pulsating sensation. She could feel Eric's hands absolutely all over her. "We've… met before."

"Oh." In some twisted way she was relieved that Will was too much in a shock to pry further.

This time Eric cleared his throat. The man appeared paler than usual and barely managed to maintain eye contact with her. "Will… asked to find out how Henry is doing. I just spoke to the doctor resposible for his care."

JJ bounced to a standing position although her head could barely handle it. "Is he alright? Where is he? Can we see him?"

Eric swallowed laboriously, his eyes darting between them both. "I'm sorry, but… Henry's been rushed into the OR." It took far too long before the man managed to continue. "Apparently there's quite a bit of internal damage. They couldn't say how extensive just yet."

JJ felt like someone had just stabbed her repeatedly. Her body couldn't take it. Ignoring the hands reaching out for her she rushed out of the room. Eventually she slumped to a bench right outside the hospital, hyperventilating and crying so hard that she could barely breathe.

She'd made a lot of mistakes. But this one… This one she'd never be able to forgive herself for.

How the hell was she supposed to go back into the hospital, knowing that this was all her fault?

* * *

><p>When Kevin Lynch came home that day he fully expected Penelope to be at the hospital. Wasn't she always there with Derek when the man needed her? That's why he was mildly surprised when he entered the house to find it full of candles.<p>

He blinked several times, eventually daring to close the door and took some steps inside. "Are… you home?" he inquired. Then, with a wince, added. "Is Morgan okay?"

"Derek's going to be fine. I made the others swear that they'll call me if anything changes", Penelope's familiar voice replied. It carried some tension that unnerved him. "Just… Come to the living room, okay?"

Kevin wasn't entirely sure if it was such a good idea to obey but he did. In the living room even more candles were waiting for him – along with a very, very nervous looking Penelope who was sitting on a couch, twisting her hands like she hadn't quite known what to do with them. She started talking before he managed to utter a word. "I know that I've been acting… off lately. It's because there's something I need to tell you and I have no idea how you're going to take it."

For some reason Kevin's intestines balled and the very first guess that came to his mind was a crystal clear picture of Derek kissing Penelope. Fortunately she made her move before he managed to say something absolutely horrible.

His eyes widened to a comical size when she outstretched a badly trembling hand towards him and he noticed what she was showing him. It was a pregnancy test. A positive one.

He stared, and stared, and stared, until Penelope finally spoke. "Kevin, please, say something. Or at least breathe. You're starting to turn blue."

He blinked several times. "It's… my baby?" was what he managed to utter.

Penelope's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me hurt you."

For a couple of more moments Kevin kept staring, his heart pounding furiously and the rush of his blood filling his ears, blocking out everything else but the nagging '_Oh my sweet God…!_'. Then everything turned black.

* * *

><p>When she left the hospital Emily's first and honest intention was to go to the office. Her plans became pushed firmly off track when her cell phone rang. She shivered upon noticing who the caller was. "<em>Any news?<em>" she demanded in Russian.

"_You owe me a favor_", was Andrei Pavlov's opening line. The man sounded even moodier than usual. "_But yes, my… contacts did find out something. And that's the location of the person who killed your friend._"

Her eyes flashed, became those of dangerous predator. "_I want the address, right now._" She'd been waiting for this opportunity for so long. Now it was finally time to set things right…

As Andrei hung up some minutes later his bodyguard Vasil spoke. "_You didn't tell her that you also found out who the killer is._"

Andrei smirked icily, taking a long sip of vodka. "_Why should I have ruined the surprise for her?_"

* * *

><p>The first time Aaron, David, Penelope, Emily and Nadia went to see Derek the man was very much awake. Frustrated, humiliated, moody, suffering from a headache. And obviously delirious to some extend.<p>

When they asked him if he knew who shot Lyons Derek swore to them that it was Spencer. When they questioned the theory Derek became so worked up that a nurse chased them away and gave the man something that'd hopefully help him calm down.

The second time, several hours later, Aaron came to the hospital alone. Everyone else had paperwork to do and there was something urgent he needed to take care of. He saw JJ as soon as he entered the waiting room. His heart ached at the sight of her. She'd never looked so throughoutly shattered.

She looked up as soon as she heard his steps and wiped her eyes hastily, even attempted to smile. "Hi." She cleared her throat. "I… There's still nothing new."

He nodded, feeling his expression darken. It took a moment before he found his voice. "If you need anything, at all…" He didn't feel the need to finish.

This time JJ actually did manage to smile. She nodded bravely. "I know."

Aaron's gaze shifted at the sound of far off steps. Will was approaching with two mugs of takeaway coffee. The man wasn't wearing his hospital gown anymore but the bruises were painfully visible.

Taking that as his cue to leave, Aaron focused on JJ once more. "I'll go and see how Morgan is doing." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Hang in there, alright? I know that it may not feel that way right now but everything's going to work out." He squeezed once more, just to make sure that she knew he was there, then pulled his hand away. "Take as much time off as you need. And let me know if anything changes."

JJ nodded and looked away. Tears that wouldn't spill filled her eyes. "I will. Thank you."

Aaron exhanged a look with Will, receiving a nod of gratitude, then turned and walked away, leaving JJ into her husband's safe hands. He walked away although it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

When did things go this badly wrong?

The journey to Derek's room was longer than he'd remembered. He opened the door – only to find no Derek. Instead a tiny nurse with long, braided orange hair and visibly fed up brown eyes was making the bed.

He frowned, cold shivers going through his whole body. His heart skipped a beat as dark thoughts wanted to take over. "Where's agent Morgan?" he demanded.

The nurse's expression spoke volumes. "Despite our requests he checked himself out twenty minutes ago."

Aaron felt ready to swear out loud, to kick something. Instead he gave a stiff nod. "Thank you." Seeing no other option he turned around and walked away. As soon as he'd find Derek there'd be _words_.

Aaron had made it almost all the way to his car until he felt it. His eyes flashed.

Someone was watching him. Following him.

He spent a second on deciding what to do, then made his way to his car as fast as possible without arousing suspicions and jumped in. Someone entered another car so close that he heard a loud slam. The two vehicles' engines growled to life at the exact same second. Aaron gritted his teeth.

Whoever there was after him wasn't a professional but that didn't make the situation any less unpleasant.

Remaining perfectly calm he drove to the mainroad and joined the traffic, then stole a glance towards the rearview mirror. A small, dark blue Volvo was following him. It was impossible to tell for sure but the driver seemed to be a woman. His eyes narrowed.

They drove like that for ten minutes until Aaron managed to lead his follower to a tiny street no one had used in ages. He waited for the exact right second until he made a dramatic move and led the car sideways, blocking his followers route. The Volvo's tires screeched until the car stopped a millimetre from his. He jumped out of the vehicle, his gun raised against his follower. With his free hand he pulled out a badge. "I'm a federal agent. Step out of the vehicle, right now. Keep your hands where I can see them."

His follower's hands trembled pitiably before the person did as they'd been told. Out came a woman in her late thirties with long, curly blonde hair and huge gray eyes. "Please…!" the woman pleaded, taking steps away from him. "Please, don't…!"

He frowned, approaching her. "Why were you following me?"

The woman only shook her head, still backing away. A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please…! You work for the FBI. Please, help me…!"

Her feet hit the much bigger street – and in a flash a large, red SUV crashed right at her. Aaron's eyes widened as he watched helplessly how she flew through the air before landing and laying motionless on the pavement. When he made it to the street a couple of seconds later the car was long gone.

His head buzzing from shock Aaron focused his attention on the woman. There wasn't a lot of blood, only a small trail of red running from her nose, but it was easy to tell that there was quite a bit of damage on the inside. Her head didn't seem right. Swallowing loudly, Aaron knelt down and tried for a pulse. There was one, albeit very faint. There was still hope.

Just then he noticed something on her neck. A small tattoo that seemed to glow against her tanned skin. It was a golden dragon.

Sounds of sirens cut any possible trail of thought that'd been about to form. Aaron blinked twice.

There was no one around. Who'd called the ambulance?

"Step out of the way, sir", a bald man who seemed to be in his mid forties instructed, pushing him firmly out of the way. Sharp blue eyes clashed against his. "We'll take care of her. The police has been informed. Wait for them."

Aaron nodded with a frown, a nagging warning pulsating in the back of his head.

As though through a blur of some sort he watched how the medic and his partner worked on the woman, then rushed her to the back of the ambulance. It was just before the bald medic jumped into the vehicle Aaron noticed it.

A tattoo on the back of the medic's hand, a golden dragon. Exactly similar to the woman's.

Aaron frowned and folded his arms to his chest. Despite the fact that he heard the sirens of a police car he felt extremely cold and uncharacteristically unsafe.

What the hell just happened? What had he been thrown into and why?

* * *

><p>Since Spencer's funeral Derek had never been to the man's grave. As little as he liked to admit it he hadn't wanted to face the words engraved to the stone. That day he finally felt bold enough. Something was calling him.<p>

His head _hurt_ and his feet felt impossibly heavy while he made his way to the correct spot. After what felt like a decade he finally paused, stared at the name.

'_Spencer Reid_'

"I know that you're still alive, kid", he whispered, as though afraid of disturbing someone. He swallowed. "I know that you're still out there. Why do you keep running away?"

Exactly five seconds later a chill crossed his whole body and his eyes fell to the ground. What he saw there made electric jolts dance everywhere underneath his skin. His eyes widened.

There, abandoned to the ground, was a star. An exact replica of the one Spencer put together for Emily. Words had been written against the dark surface.

'_Don't follow the golden dragon._'

* * *

><p>As soon as Nadia got the chance she made her way to a safe conference room. Not even two seconds later her cell phone started ringing demandingly. She recognized the number calling instantly. "<em>Is he alright?<em>" was the greeting she received.

"Yeah. He'll spend the night in the hospital, then he's good to go home." She gritted her teeth. If she'd had good news, even just once… "But… More people got hurt."

"_I know._" The person talking to her sounded pained. "_I can't wait any longer._"

She took a shuddering breath, leaning heavily against the wall. "You know what they'll…"

"_I need to do _something_. Before it's too late._"

She wiped her eyes, struggling to keep her mind from spinning out of control. She couldn't lose it, not now. "This needs to stop." She tensed up and reached out for her gun upon hearing steps outside the room. They paused for a second until she heard talking, then two people laughing and walking away. Breathing properly was a surprisingly hard task. "My sister… She's been threatened and I'm the only one who can protect her. I don't know how long I can keep playing this game." She swallowed, realizing that she was trembling. "They… They're everywhere, do you understand? Everywhere. So save what you still can and get the hell out."

There was a bizarre, whistling sound until the caller spoke once more. "_I have to go. Stay safe, alright?_" With that the phone call was over.

Nadia lowered the phone from her ear, inhaling and exhaling sharply with her pupils dilating rapidly.

This was never going to end. Not if she didn't bring an end to it.

She had to gather herself for several moments until she was finally ready to function. Her finger wasn't entirely steady while she dialed numbers.

"_I told you to never call this number_", a familiar voice growled at her.

She took a breath. "I know that we need to stop them. But… Innocent people are in the way." The other voice that spoke to her moments earlier echoed in her ears. Derek, the gunshot. Her sister. "Please. We can't put them into the line of fire, not anymore. We can't…"

And then she heard something from the other end of the phone. A door being forced open, somewhere quite close. And then Emily's voice. "_FBI! Drop the phone and put your hands in the air!_"

The person she'd been talking to sighed. "_It's too late, now._"

Nadia's heart stopped for a second when she heard Emily's gasp. "_You…?_"

Tears almost filled her eyes and if her throat wasn't so choked she might've screamed. What the hell had they done? This was going too far…

And then she heard Aaron's voice, almost right behind her. "Damascos." The look on the man's face spoke louder than any words ever could. "What was that all about?"

Her whole body and mind paralyzed. And in a couple of seconds the dial tone of Aaron's cell phone saved her.

Gritting his teeth with frustration Aaron picked up upon noticing that the caller was Penelope. "What is it?"

"_There's… I just got something, on my computer._" She sounded absolutely horrified. "_Come here as soon as you can._"

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><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: I guess that at this point the question mark is bigger than ever before. What the HELL is going on?

I've gotta go and clean up my apartment (shudders), but first… **PLEASE**, leave a review – a line or two would save my day! (gives absolutely irrisistable pleading eyes) Pleeeease? Aww, c'mon, the 'review this chapter' button needs a little lovin'.

IN THE NEXT ONE: Things get even more out of control when one member of the team appears to be missing. No one is safe as the unknown threat inches closer and closer. Or is it just one threat anymore…?

The next chapter is quite far done already, so I might just be able to provide a rather quick update if ya want one…

Until next one, everybody! I really hope you'll be sticking around.

Peace out!

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><p><strong>Steph<strong>: Quite a torture, no? (groans)

BUT, I'm happy beyond all words that you've enjoyed the ride thus far so, especially the background building (I've done quite a bit of headwork with it)! (grins from ear to ear) We'll see what happens when things begin to unfold…

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


	6. This one's blood is on your hands'

A/N: Guess who's back? (grins like a maniac)

First things first, of course. Thank you so, so much for those absolutely amazing reviews! I can't believe how much love this story has received. (GLOMPS) THANK YOU! You've made me a very happy person.

Awkay. (takes a deep breath) I suppose it's go-time, no? Hold on tight, folks! I really hope that you'll enjoy the stormy ride.

* * *

><p>'This one's blood is on your hands.'<p>

* * *

><p>Derek felt like he'd entered the twilight zone as he walked through the deserted bullpen. Even Aaron couldn't be found from his office. Derek was about to become worried until he came to think of something.<p>

His steps were still heavy but at least his head wasn't hurting as much after the horseload of pills he'd taken while he approached Penelope's office, then entered without a knock. In an instant he was the center of very edgy, alarmed attention. No gun was pointed at him but he could _feel_ them.

He lifted his hands and swallowed. "Take it easy. It's just me."

To his stun Penelope got up from her chair so fast that it made even him feel dizzy. Only a flash later her arms were wrapped around him and she was squeezing him so tightly that it was getting hard to breathe. He hugged back, surprised and more than a little bit startled.

_What the hell…?_

"Where the heck have you been?" Penelope cried out. "I really… I thought…!"

Derek frowned, focusing on Aaron who seemed paler than usual. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Aaron's lips tightened before words came. "I'm not glad that you've come back to work despite the fact that no doctor could've possibly cleared you. But I'm glad that you're here." The unit chief nodded towards Penelope's computer.

Derek looked towards the pointed direction and felt his insides tangle while a foul taste rose into his mouth. On the computer's screen was a brief message.

'_You shouldn't have tried to find me. This one's blood is on your hands. Leave me alone._'

Derek blinked several times, his heartbeat rising considerably. This was just a sick joke, right? Why would someone…?

"At first we thought that the message is nothing but a hoax." David had a grim look on his face. "But we can't know for sure until we're all here. Right now Lynch is working on trying to find out who sent that."

Derek nodded, pleased that no one expected Penelope to be able to do the job. She was pregnant and under a lot of stress as it was. Besides, judging by the way she was still struggling to pull herself back together in his arms she was by no means functioning properly at the moment.

And then it hit him. If that message wasn't just some sick person trying to mess with them…

His eyes darted around frantically. So Penelope, Aaron and David were present. Nadia was also sitting in a far corner of the room with a agitated look on her face, looking like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Only two were missing.

"Where's JJ?" he inquired instantly, his throat painfully tight.

Aaron looked away and fought with himself for a long time before deciding to answer. "There's… been an accident. It looks like someone worked on her car." Talking seemed to hurt the man and Derek dreaded what was to come. The unit chief swallowed. "Will was driving, with Henry on board. Will came out with some small injuries but Henry's still in a surgery. She's in the hospital with them."

Derek's eyes widened and he felt like he'd been kicked. "Jesus Christ…!"

With that piece of information another horrible realization dawned. Derek's head was spinning as he realized that only one more member of the team was missing. He stared at Aaron who looked back with solemn eyes, both of them wondering if this new nightmare was only just getting started.

* * *

><p>To JJ it was nothing short of torture.<p>

Seconds, minutes and hours slipped by. At some point a doctor had stopped by to tell her and Will that Henry was out of the surgery. For now they'd keep the child unconscious with medication to give his tiny body the best odds of healing. The doctor promised that he'd send a nurse over to tell them as soon as it was possible to go and see Henry. Since then there'd been _nothing_.

JJ blinked twice as Will shifted slightly, waking up from his light sleep. For a moment pain could be seen in his eyes but it vanished as soon as it'd appeared.

She frowned. "Are you okay?"

Will nodded, appearing exhausted and utterly miserable. "Yeah. Just sore."

She swallowed and shifted restlessly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable inside her own skin. "Do you want any painkillers? I could ask someone…"

Will interrupted her with a firm shake of a head. "I don't want any more meds. I'm already groggy enough as it is."

JJ nodded, feeling even more helpless than before. Silence fell between them.

At least fifteen more endless minutes passed by before JJ finally found her voice again. It took even longer to find the courage for voicing the words. "Will… If you'd actually made it to New Orleans… Would you have come back?"

Will was silent and completely still for a long time before there was a reply she barely heard. "I don't know." A couple of seconds later he looked at her, with eyes that left no chance for an escape. "I know that the hospital's staff tried to contact you for hours. Where were you?"

An icy spear was plunged right through JJ and she actually shuddered, her mouth going completely dry. And as if to mock her there was a familiar voice. Trying to do it so that Will didn't notice she allowed her eyes to stray towards the other end of the hallway. Dr. Eric Rhodes was there, talking to another doctor. For a second, perhaps two or five, their eyes met before she looked away again. Her eyes stung hellishly.

What the hell was she supposed to do? How was she ever going to fix this mess? Did she even want to, deep down?

The silence between her and Will continued. So did the waiting.

* * *

><p>Penelope's head was practically buzzing while she typed away on her computer, only the fast writing speed keeping the trembling of her hands at bay. She knew that she should've been resting, taking it easy. But how was she supposed to do that when one member of her family had just been attacked, other's family was hospitalized and the third one was missing, who knows in what kind of a trouble?<p>

Losing Emily, too, all over again…

Penelope swallowed although it did nothing to remove the blockage in her throat, then wiped her eyes to remove the barely visible moisture. "I'm sorry", she whispered to the computer screen. "I wouldn't want to pry – I know how much you always valued privacy. But… But this is for Emily, okay? For her sake. So… I hope you'll understand."

She knew that it was insane but she was almost sure that she felt a hand on her shoulder. That acceptance coaxed her further. She took a deep breath before typing the name.

'_SSA Dr. Spencer Reid_'

Penelope winced at the stab that pierced her chest as the word 'deceased' floated to the screen, right next to Spencer's picture. Good grief how sad and serious Spencer looked. How in the world had she never noticed it before?

She swallowed once more and wiped her eyes although she knew it to be pointless, then kept typing on although a voice inside her screamed against it. Somewhere along the way she typed a message to a new 'friend' who'd approached her twenty minutes earlier through a untraceable route. ('_He's the only one who can give you the answers_', was the message.) '_You'd better be right about this._'

The other's response was almost instant. '_I'm sure he wouldn't mind. It's something you need to see._'

She frowned and chewed her lower lip, watching how the computer kept opening a file named 'Operation Hydra'. In the spur of the moment she wrote again. '_How can I trust you?_'

This time it took a while before there was a reply. '_You shouldn't._'

In less than three seconds the file stopped opening. 'Classified' filled almost the entire screen.

Feeling colder than should've been humanly possible Penelope kept staring at the screen, her heartbeat choosing a foreign rhythm. It took longer than it should've to write. '_Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?_'

'_No. I'm trying to show you that there are things about him you haven't known. And you really should be careful enough not to chat with strangers._' The other went on before she got the chance to type back a word. '_Close the file and get out of the room. Right now. They spotted you._'

Not understanding why she trusted the stranger so Penelope got up hurriedly – and at that very moment Derek walked into the room. She took several breaths, still worked up by the bizarre conversation she'd just had, then frowned at the look on the agent's face. "Hotch gave you a hard time, huh?"

Derek groaned, rubbing his face with one hand. "He told me that if I'll pull another stunt like the one with Lyons he'll have me suspended for a while. He also said that I'm not allowed back on field until a doctor's cleared me."

Penelope sighed, giving him a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry. But you must've seen that coming."

Derek huffed, folding his arms. "I did. And I understand that it could've been worse. But at this point I can't exactly jump with joy." The man then looked at her computer and frowned. "What… is your computer doing?"

She turned to look. Her chest tightened to a painful extend when the screen went black before a timer appeared, counting backwards from twenty. And all of a sudden she had a crystal clear picture of what the mystery person had tried to warn her about. Her eyes widened dramatically while the first words that came to her mind popped out. "Oh shit…!"

Derek must've snarled something when the man sprinted to where she was rooted to her spot and hauled her to motion but she couldn't focus enough to understand a word. As gently as possible, cautious not to harm the baby inside her, Derek pushed her out of the room and as far from it as possible with the limited amount of time they had.

It couldn't possibly be more than seconds but to Penelope it felt like years. When the blast came, sweeping through her office and even brushing the hallway, it immediately struck her ears deaf. That's why she couldn't hear her own voice screaming.

* * *

><p>Nadia was wise enough to take an opportunity when one was handed to her. While the others were preoccupied by the explosion she slipped away, ran to her car although she had absolutely no clue of where she was going to go. There was no safe place for her anymore. Gasping and trying to keep tears at bay she leaned back, brought a unsteady hand to her mouth.<p>

_So this is what you get for trying to keep four parties happy at the same time_, she mused sullenly.

Knowing full well that she was in no condition to drive Nadia moved to start the vehicle until her cell phone started ringing. Her heartbeat slipping out of control she turned her gaze towards the item. Unfamiliar number.

She picked up after several seconds of hesitation. "Hello?" Her voice sounded unfamiliar.

"_Is this Nadia Damascos?_"

She hesitated for a moment before choosing to take the risk. She could've sworn that the homeless looking man walking past her car stared at her. "Yes."

"_This is Dr. Belinda Torres from Memorial Hospital._" The female voice was so sad that Nadia felt her heart skip several beats."_I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your sister Isabella was brought here a while ago. At the moment we're struggling to stabilize her._"

Tears filled Nadia's eyes and for a moment she was sure she'd throw up at that instant. "What… What happened to her?"

"_I'll tell you more as soon as you get here. Come as fast as possible._"

Nadia knew very well that there was a huge possibility that this might be a trap. But this was Isabella, the only family she had left. The one she'd sworn their parents to protect. She couldn't just… "I'll be there in ten minutes."

She never noticed the car that began to follow hers.

* * *

><p>Two hours, fifteen minutes and seventeen seconds after the blast the whole building was still in a state of chaos. Despite the fact that only Penelope's office suffered damage the attack had jabbed right into the core of the bureau's heart. Such couldn't be taken lightly.<p>

Safely away from the destruction and the investigation Derek had one arm wrapped around Penelope while she attempted to catch her breath. To be honest his own heart was still hammering from shock. "Feeling better, Princess?" he inquired in the end.

Penelope shook her head. "No." She glanced towards the direction of her office that was buzzing with unfamiliar agents. "I don't want them roaming around there. Who knows what they'll do."

Derek chuckled and kissed her hair. "Don't worry. I'll help you put it all back together."

They were both startled by the sudden sounds of running steps. Before Derek knew what was happening Kevin had scooped Penelope into his arms. There was loud terror in the man's eyes. "What happened? Are you okay? The baby…?"

For the first time since the blast Penelope smiled, only slightly but still. "We're both fine. As for what happened… I have no idea." She glanced towards him. "It's thanks to the Chocolate Muffin over there I'm still standing."

Kevin gave him a look. This time it was full of gratitude. He answered with a nod.

It was around then Aaron and David appeared. The looks on their faces weren't exactly encouraging. "I still haven't been able to get a hold of Prentiss", David informed them, only his eyes betraying how worried he was. "This isn't like her." Or actually, this was starting to feel far too much like the Doyle-scenario all over again.

Derek frowned and folded his arms, feeling cold all over. "Where's Nadia?" To him it was too much to be a coincidence that she vanished after something like this.

Aaron's eyes spoke everything necessary. "She fled almost right after the explosion. I'm about to interrogate her later."

Derek nodded. "Good."

It was quiet for a couple of moments before David spoke again. "Morgan, you mentioned that you saw someone on your way to Garcia's office. A man. Can you describe him?"

Derek shrugged, frustration making him fidget. "He was a delivery guy. Mid-twenties, average built, a bit shorten than me. Dark hair, brown eyes." All of a sudden a detail he'd ignored earlier floated to his head. He frowned, his heart making an extra beat. "He… had this tattoo, on his neck. A golden dragon."

"A golden dragon?" Aaron cut in before Derek managed to finish his thought. There was a look they'd never seen before on the man's face.

Derek nodded with a frown, wondering just what the unit chief wasn't telling them, then decided to spill his own piece of information. "Yeah. And it wasn't the first time I ran into one." He fetched the bag he'd almost forgotten having along and searched through it. In a few moments he managed to find the star he'd spotted on Spencer's grave.

The others stared at the item, obviously recognizing it. And then they noticed the words.

'_Don't follow ther golden dragon._'

They all stared in silence for the longest time, a group of sharp minds trying to bring sense to the entire chaos unfolding around them. Was this… golden dragon the threat looming around them? If it was _why_? What or who was it? None of this made any sense.

And if Emily was actually in some sort of a trouble… This didn't bring them any closer to helping her.

Surprisingly Penelope was the one who managed to function first. She pushed herself up although it looked like she didn't quite trust herself to be able to walk. "I… I need to do some research." Her eyes sharpened while the technical analyst inside her took over. "Kevin, I need to borrow your computer for a while. Now that I lost mine it's the only good enough in this building."

Kevin nodded. Ignoring the other people present he wrapped a protective arm around her. "Sure, of course. I'll come with you." He'd come close to losing her just a blink ago. There was no way he'd be letting her out of his sight.

Once the two of them had left the rest of them refocused on the star. The same impossible option rose in their heads. They all crashed to the same insane conclusion.

Derek was the one to speak it out. "You're the ones who don't believe that he's still alive. So you tell me." His eyes darted between the two older men. "Only our team knows of this star. So who do _you_ think left this?"

They didn't answer. Silence fell into the room.

The only thing they _did_ know for sure was the there was something bizarre and very dangerous going on. And they had no idea what to do about it.

* * *

><p>Emily's whole body hurt while she fought to keep her eyes open. She could smell her own blood and it caused a sick feeling into her stomach. The cuts all over her body <em>burned<em>. She twisted her wrists, only to discover that she wasn't a match even against the thin rope. A groan slipped through her lips.

How much blood had she lost? How much time did she have left?

"I wish you hadn't made this so hard on us both. But you've always been stubborn." Steps circled around before distancing. Her companion was leaving. "If you weren't you might walk out of here alive."

A door was slammed closed. Darkness fell. And in a few seconds she heard the rats.

Emily's eyes widened and if she would've been able to she would've screamed. Her heart began to hammer madly while ice filled her veins. She'd never felt such terror in her life.

_NO! No, no, no…!_

She was _not_ going to die here, like this. This just couldn't be happening.

Pushing her all into it she worked her wrists and ankles frantically. The only result she achieved was squeaking from the rats. Tiny eyes gleamed with excitement in the dark while the rodents came closer and closer.

It appeared she could scream, after all. For she unleashed a wounded howl upon feeling the very first bite. A couple of tears spilled to her cheeks, stinging when they met wounds.

The room's door opened. Emily's terrified eyes flew wide and her heart nearly stilled. She barely noticed how most of the rats disappeared in a flash.

"… you come… to finish?" she managed and shivered upon tasting blood.

The arrival didn't speak. The pale yet welcomed beam of a flashlight chased away even the bravest of the rats. Steps approached her until she saw a pair of man's legs. Heavy black boots, almost as dark pants. She frowned, her mind almost shutting down already. This wasn't her companion from before.

"I'm sorry", a voice her dimming consciousness registered as familiar whispered. The restraints around her wrists disappeared but she couldn't even lift a hand. "I'm so sorry. But it'll be okay now, Emily. I promise."

With the very last of her strength Emily lifted her chin, just enough to see her savior. Despite the fact that she was barely awake her eyes widened.

Even through the changed hair and eyecolor… She _knew_.

Their eyes met. The man swallowed, unable to speak.

She blinked sluggishly, her vision already failing her. "… eid?" And then she saw nothing but black.

* * *

><p>In a tiny bathroom that had barely any light in it a fist was smashed into a already mostly shattered mirror, time and time again. Although the hand had grown numb a long time ago blood still spilled, red droplets splashing everywhere.<p>

The blood didn't please the dragon inside the tormented mind. It didn't chase away the voice only one could hear. '_I'm so proud of you._'

A couple of tears rolled before the fist banged once more. "She was innocent! She wasn't even one of _them_!" The voice boomed so loudly that a neighbor banged the wall, snarling something the tormented ears couldn't catch.

'_Now how can you know that? _He_ was one of them. Don't you remember that? He joined _them_ as well. To me it looks like they all may have. You can't trust them. You can't trust the enemy._' There was a tiny, very displeased sound. '_Stop being so weak. You've done this before, remember? Don't try to tell me that it wasn't easier the second time around._'

Tears kept slipping from narrowed eyes. "I hate you."

This time the troubled mind managed to see someone. A young, tall man with shoulder length brown hair and bizarre, ice cold eyes. A frosty smile. A cool hand that landed to a quaking shoulder. '_Yet you know that I'm right._' Those eyes landed on the bottle of pills held in a hand that seemed to be convulsing. '_Why don't you just put those away and wait for the next move? You can't sneak out of the game until it's finished._'

The eyes narrowed even further. The hand kept twitching before the pills were poured out. They disappeared into sewer. "Fine", a wounded voice hissed. "Game on."

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: And the going keeps getting tougher. (sweatdrops) What in the world is going on? The next chapter provides some much needed answers – including one we're all itching for…

**PLEASE**, let me hear your thoughts! Was this piece of the puzzle any good, at all, or should I erase it and pretend that it never existed? Leave a note and let me know. Pwease…?

IN THE NEXT ONE: It's finally time for some answers, but in the meantime new questions rise. And the only one who could answer is absent… Meanwhile JJ finds out one of the people responsible for what happened to Will and Henry. Her decision has dramatic results.

THE NEXT ONE IS ALREADY FIRMLY UNDERWAY. Sooo, if ya'd want the new update might be cooked pretty soon. How does that sound?

Until next time, folks! I really hope ya'll all be staying tuned.

Peace out!

* * *

><p><strong>Steph<strong>: Yes, ma'am. (grins)

No worries! The answer to your question shall be revealed in the next chapter. And the going keeps getting tougher…

I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter! (claps hands together with excitement)

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>maaaa<strong>: I'm truly happy to hear you think so. (beams) 'Hope the next one turns out as good.

Huge thank yous for the review!


	7. You don't have any idea'

A/N: Hiya there, folks! (grins) Did ya miss me? I've had a really, REALLY exhausting day but there's nothing that could keep me from posting this chapter.

Thank you so much for your heartwarming reviews! (GLOMPS) This story really gets entirely new fire with them. So thank you! I really hope that the story to come keeps you in its grip as well.

Alright. (takes a deep breath, bracing oneself) It's go time. I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride! The time for some ANSWERS has finally arrived.

* * *

><p>'You don't have any idea of what's really going on.'<p>

* * *

><p>At some point Derek lost track of time. He had a nasty feeling that it had a lot to do with his concussion. In his opinion days may have passed from the explosion in Penelope's office. Stood in the bureau's restroom, leaning heavily against a sink, he squeezed his eyes tightly closed and winced while headache kept tearing his skull apart.<p>

An explosion following a concussion certainly hadn't done his head any good. He doubted any amount of pain medication would've chased away the ache.

Were Spencer's headaches like this, too? He should ask when…

It took a moment before he realized how far from the present his mind had wandered. He opened his eyes slowly, cautiously, and winced again when the room's small amount of light made him feel like he'd been shot to the head.

"_Morgan._"

Derek blinked thrice and shivered, his eyes finally fully open and darting around. There was no one else in the room. He swallowed thickly.

He could've sworn that… "Reid…?"

"_Morgan._" And then the voice became clearer, changed. Aaron entered the room and frowned at the sight of him. "Are you alright?" As though it wasn't blatantly obvious that he wasn't.

Derek nodded stiffly, making his posture as firm as he could muster. "Yeah, I am." His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed, desiring to close to get rid of the light. "Anything new?"

Aaron nodded, still appearing suspicious. "I just got a call from the hospital. Prentiss was admitted an hour ago. She's still unconscious but she'll be fine although it was a close call. They have no idea of who brought her in."

A flow of electricity went through Derek. The same doubt lingered in Aaron's eyes that was certainty in Derek's veins.

Before Derek could voice his thoughts Aaron directed the conversation elsewhere. "Because of what's been happening lately I had an agent keeping an eye on her at all times. I also sent another agent for JJ and her family. I asked him to be subtle. JJ's got a lot on her mind already."

Derek's eyebrow bounced up. "Are you sure that those agents can be trusted?" That was the tricky part with fighting a invisible enemy. It could wear anyone's face.

Just then Kevin appeared to the doorway. There was a unmistakable look of excitement as well as shock on the man's face. "You'd better come and see this."

Derek and Aaron exchanged a look before following Kevin. They made their way to Kevin's office that seemed to be in a state of chaos. Both Penelope and David had their eyes glued on a computer. Shock was thick in the air.

Derek's eyebrow arched. "I'm taking that as you found something."

Penelope nodded slowly, even a blink not managing to erase how wide her eyes were. "I'm… still trying to believe this", she confessed.

"It took a lot of digging but we did find something." David, the slightly further recovered of the two, took the lead. "The Golden Dragon isn't a person. It's an organization." The man seemed to shiver, which was something none of them had seen often. "It works underground. When law and order fail to offer proper punishments they step in. Rapists, pedophiles, abusers… They clean up the filth. They're able to make anything look like an accident."

Derek felt a tremble go through him. Not that he would've had something against the justice being served but… "Who's 'they'?" he inquired.

Penelope looked right at him, still visibly unsettled. "Anyone. Could be you or me." She glanced back towards the computer screen. "You'd be surprised by how many have joined in willingly. Grieving family members, victims, cops… Just about anyone's who isn't satisfied with how the system works. The organization offers them the necessary tutoring, makes them swear loyalty. After that… They're ready."

Kevin, whom Penelope had chased out of the room early on to be able to focus, frowned. "How did it manage to grow so much without being discovered?"

Aaron's eyes darkened. "My guess is that those in charge have enough power to bury the tracks. Whatever happens to those the organization chases… Few care about them."

David nodded, equally solemn. "Plus, the organization has quite a system to ensure that people stay quiet. Listening to the members' phone calls is a small thing. They go as far as micro chipping all recruits so that they can track them down at all times."

Derek folded his arms, feeling colder than before. "Where did you get all this information from?" he asked, suspicion sneaking in.

"One member managed to slip out. Even dug out the micro chip." Penelope bit her lower lip, casting a swift glance towards Aaron. "That member… approached me earlier today, a bit before the explosion. Warned me – us – to stay away."

Aaron's expression spoke volumes but the man said nothing. Derek was glad. Penelope had beaten herself up enough over the Fisher King case.

"Those people…" Kevin, out of them the least used to things like this, appeared shaken. "They're _crazy_. That sounds like some sort of a cult."

"That wasn't all." Penelope swallowed, typing further. "That case during which Reid was…" She couldn't bring herself to say the rest. "I noticed something, in the pictures of the victims."

She opened the pictures for them to see and they were all beyond relieved that Spencer's face hadn't been added to look back at them. What they got was four men and five women, most of them between twenty-five and thirty-eight years old, two slightly above the age of forty. Those facts were what'd bothered them while they worked on the case. The UnSub didn't seem to have a particular type. There was also no specific timeline. Sometimes the gap between murders was months, other times less than a couple of days. That inconsistency was the primary reason why they hadn't been able to build a solid profile in time to catch the killer before Spencer was shot. This particular monster was still out there somewhere.

"I don't see anything", Derek confessed. His voice was a lot tighter and sharper than usual. It wasn't a surprise, considering how many memories and feelings those pictures brought to life.

Aaron, on the other hand, already noticed it. The unit chief's expression didn't change but for a microsecond his eyes widened a fraction. "The tattoo."

Now Derek saw it too. Right there on the victims' skins.

One on a neck. One on a hand that was pushing a strand of hair behind a ear. One on the back of a young woman who was posing for the camera. One on a shoulder. One right above the heart. The pattern was repeated nine times.

The golden dragon.

"They were all members", David spoke out what was dawning on all of them. "That was the motive."

Derek nodded, his head spinning with the force of this new information. "Reid… He must've figured it out. That's why he went to Susan Thompson's house alone that day. He didn't want us to find out."

"Uh… Guys?" There was a look of discomfort and confusion on Kevin's face. "I hate to say this out loud but you've gotta be wondering, too. How _did_ Reid know about the Golden Dragon? Before us no outsider did."

Even the thought sent a shockwave and cold shivers through each person in the room. Derek's eyes narrowed with warning. "Now would be a good time to shut up, Lynch."

Kevin fell pale and lifted his hands, his mouth dropping open with startle. David appeared to his defense. "He wasn't accusing Reid of anything, Morgan", the older agent explained in a deviously calm voice although there was a frosty look in his eyes. There'd be a conversation later. "He was just pointing out somethig we really should consider. Something about this is off and we need to figure out what it is before it's too late."

Sombre silence fell into the room.

They were in a desperate need for answers. And the only one who could've given them wasn't available.

* * *

><p>As soon as Emily began to float back into consciousness she wished that she'd stayed under. She groaned, bringing both hands to her face, when the pain washed over her with absolutely all its power.<p>

What the hell happened to her? Did she get hit by a truck?

And then, in a flash, the pieces came. The attack. The darkness. The rats. The pure, utter helplessness and terror.

The faces.

Her eyes flew wide and she didn't close them although the hospital room's light made her feel like her eyes had been stabbed. Her heartbeat rose rapidly, causing her to gasp.

It… wasn't just a dream, was it?

Just then a nurse who couldn't be far past her twenties walked into the room. The nurse's green eyes widened for a moment before her face melted into a smile. "Well hello there. It's nice to see you awake for change." The nurse's long, clearly dyed blonde ponytail bounced while the younger woman checked her vitals and made some notes. 'Evelyn', Emily checked from her nametag. "Everything looks good but I can imagine that you're in quite a bit of pain right now. I've got a doctor's permission to give you some pain medication."

Emily shook her head firmly. She wanted to remain lucid, now more than ever. She tried to shift to a better position and winced at the series of stabs that went through her. "I… I'm good", she assured Evelyn, ignoring the fact that she sounded anything but convincing. Her voice was off, gruff and quiet. She cleared her throat, hoping against all reason that it'd help. "My team…?"

Evelyn smiled again. "They know that you're here, safe and sound. Agent Hotchner's called a couple of times to check up on you." The nurse then seemed to remember something. "Oh, and you had a visitor. He left an hour or so ago, saying that there was something urgent he needed to take care of."

Emily frowned, chills traveling through her whole body. So… Someone had been in the room, watching her when she was unconscious? The thought sounded anything but pleasant. "Did you ask his name?"

Evelyn appeared slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry but there was an emergency. By the time I would've had the chance to ask he was already gone." The younger woman's eyebrow arched while she made more notes. "Do you think that it was someone special?"

Emily bit her lip, folding her arms to her chest despite the fact that it irritated some injuries. "Yeah…", she breathed out. "Something like that."

Evelyn gave her a knowing look. "Well, I hope that you're awake the next time he comes over." With that the nurse began to leave. "Try to get some rest, alright? I'll come and check up on you in a bit." So saying the woman was already gone.

Alone in the room Emily shivered, her eyes darting around frantically. "I also hope that I'll be awake if he comes again", she muttered to herself.

It was around then she noticed it, right there on the tiny table beside her bed. A empty takeaway mug of coffee. Her eyes widened slightly.

* * *

><p>A month after her thirty-fifth birthday Desiree Flores had been sober – free of alcohol, free of heroin – for almost a year. She'd walked through the fire. It'd taken that long to get her life back on track. To try and leave behind the person she'd been violently transformed into.<p>

That day she sighed deeply while a yeat another NA meeting came to an end and ran a hand through her roughly shortcut black hair. Her smile never reached her blue eyes while she told everyone goodbye, then left the building as fast as she could.

While hurrying home Desiree allowed her mind to play around. If those people knew what she'd done, the true reason to why she started using… What would they think of her? She'd done things that made most of them sick. And if she was fully honest with herself she craved those things far more than drugs.

Desiree rubbed the back of her neck, where the golden dragon tattoo seemed to be burning her skin. Her other, far too familiar craving swam through her, sweeping her under before she could do a thing about it. She gasped, feeling like she'd been suffocating.

When did this hunger rise inside her?

(Actually, she knew. When Rex Rogers raped her and stabbed her to near death, then walked out of it, she knew that things would never be the same again. He was her first kill. And it felt _good_.)

Desiree was so deep in thought while entering her apartment that she didn't notice the signs of breaking and entering. She didn't even feel the foreign presence until she flicked on the lights and the attacker pinned her against a chest. She could feel the other's heartbeat even more clearly than her own while a hand covered her mouth. "I've been waiting for you", a voice she'd never heard before hissed. The room's light shimmered on the attacker's knife. "Isn't this how you used to serve justice, too? I can't see any difference."

Tears flowed down Desiree's cheeks while she began to understand. The realization was so sharp that it hurt physically.

This… This was how the others died, right? She was going to die.

She would've pleaded but with the hand on her mouth she could barely breathe. She kicked, bit and struggled while the attacker dragged her towards the bathroom but her tiny body just wasn't strong enough. Instead the other's hold on her grew tighter, bruising her chest.

"Don't… fight", the attacker hissed. "I'd hate to kill you faster than I have to."

Before she could finish any other thought they were already in the bathroom. She whimpered when the knife was brought directly to her throat, so tightly that it actually hurt. Just a little bit more and…

"Hold very, very still, or I'll make sure that you bleed to death like the pitiable animal you are. Understood?"

Desiree nodded frantically, against all odds hoping that maybe, just maybe, there was still hope left for her. In less than a blink, however, all hope was stolen away. Her eyes widened to a impossible extend when the attacker pulled out a syringe. It didn't take a genius to recognize the substance inside. That dosage would definitely kill even a larger man. Tears blinded her.

_No… No, no, please no…!_

She'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't die this way. That this life was already behind her. That her mother wouldn't have to see her…

But before she could move the needle had already pierced her skin. While she pulled in one hasty breath the drug was already inside her.

"Your people are capable of making anything look like an accident." This time the voice was almost purring. "So am I."

(Desiree's body was found by her mother the following morning. A coroner determined that she died of a accidental drug overdose.)

* * *

><p>In the hospital JJ felt like the entire world had been falling down on her as she returned to her son's room after wandering around the building for what felt like days. Will was sitting exactly where she'd left him, focused on something held in his unsteady hands. Henry was nowhere to be seen. Of course he was.<p>

Exactly twenty minutes after they'd finally been allowed into the room – to see their tiny, innocent son hooked on terrifying machines and a million vires, so horrifyingly still and tiny that it _shattered _her – the machines went wild and Henry was rushed away. Apparently the doctor had missed a leak. Henry was still bleeding on the inside and the doctor had absolutely no clue of where the bleeding was. No clue of _anything_. JJ hadn't seen her son since and she feared that she'd lose the little there was left of her sanity before she did.

Will's head turned towards her. There was no blame or anger in his eyes, only exhaustion and sadness. She wasn't sure which one would've been worse. "Where were you?" he asked in a quiet voice that spoke much louder than the actually words.

She swallowed, running a hand through her disheveled hair. Her eyes stung for the about millionth time that day. "I… I just needed some air." She swallowed again but the horrible taste remained. "Have you heard anything?"

Will refocused on what he was holding. Pictures. "You'd know if you weren't so busy running away", he pointed out in a chilling, hollow voice.

Trying to lead the conversation to a different track before the inevitable couldn't be avoided JJ looked towards the photos in Will's hands. "What are those?"

Will shivered, a pained look appearing to his face. "I asked a friend of mine from the police to bring over the accident pictures as soon as possible. I don't know. I just… I guess I…" The man trailed off, moisture appearing into his eyes.

Feeling like she'd been stabbed JJ brought a hand to his shoulder, her own eyes far from dry. In a couple of moments Will covered her hand with his own and held on tight. For the first time in ages they felt like a married couple.

Although they were the last things JJ wanted to see she looked at the pictures, if for nothing else then to truly comprehend what'd happened to her son and husband. The first thing she saw was the car, so badly smashed that it was impossible to believe that someone had walked out alive. The pain becoming too much her eyes strayed to another part of the photo. And at that very moment she saw it.

Staring at the accident sight with eyes that couldn't be read was Nadia Damascos. Nadia, who should've been nowhere near the place.

At first JJ was certain that she'd be sick as nausea and disbelief made her head spin madly. Then something far darker took over. She knew exactly what she had to do.

"JJ? Jennifer?" She didn't even hear Will's voice while storming out of the room, wrath numbing all reason. "Where are you going?"

While leaving the room JJ noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A man of her age, a tall, brown eyed blond. That man had been following her around for hours. It was time to do something about it.

She stopped so abruptly that the man nearly walked over her and spun around, her eyes narrowing slightly against her visibly startled follower. "I know that you've been asked to keep an eye on me. But my son's going into his second surgery today and there's no telling what'll happen. So could you _please_ let me go out for a smoke _alone_?"

The agent cleared his throat and nodded, shifting weight to his other foot. "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded back, unable to make her muscles relax the slightest. "Thank you." With that  
>she began to walk away. But she didn't make it out of the building.<p>

Because as she stepped out of the elevator and into a hallway she saw only one person. In an instant she saw red.

She didn't notice that Nadia looked like she'd been crying. She didn't see the grief in the woman's eyes. All she saw was the face from that picture. "JJ?" The younger woman took a couple of steps closer. "How's Henry?" Seeing the look on her face Nadia stopped with a frown. "What's… going on?"

"You know fucking well what's going on." JJ's eyes narrowed while the animal inside her took over. "You… were there." Her voice and blood were filled with venom. "It's because of you I may lose my son."

There was a unreadable look on Nadia's face. "You don't have any idea of what's really going on, Jennifer."

A flare crossed JJ's body, so hard that she shivered. "I do know that my son is fighting for his life and you're one of the people responsible. I'm not planning on letting you get away with it."

Nadia took a breath. The woman's eyes looked darker than usual. "I'm really sorry about this", the rookie agent half-whispered. "But you need to remember that this didn't have to be necessary."

The rage boiling out of control JJ rushed forward, a flash too late to notice the gun Nadia had pulled out. A gunshot echoed in the hallway. Both women froze.

JJ gasped and stared at Nadia, taking in the wild look in the woman's eyes. And then the blood appeared, staining the fabric covering Nadia's arm. The woman hissed, dropping her gun to cover the wound.

"I trusted you." The voice was a lot more harsh than the one JJ remembered but she recognized it nonetheless. So clearly that blood stilled in her veins. "I trusted you with their lives. You were supposed to keep them safe when I couldn't."

Nadia gulped with her eyes full of tears, staring at someone behind JJ. "I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I couldn't."  
>JJ's heart hammered in a way that couldn't be considered healthy while she turned around slowly, slowly, almost afraid of facing the person behind her. The whole world stopped turning when their eyes finally met.<p>

The man looked back, a pained look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, JJ. Henry… He should've never been brought into this. I'm his godfather. I should've been able to keep them from coming after him. I'm sorry."

JJ couldn't even hear him. All she could do was stare while she breathed out his name. "Spence…?"

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><p>TBC, no?<p>

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><p>AN: And the web of secrets begins to unravel. (grins) 'Wonder where, exactly, the things will go from here. Some questions still remain, after all.

**PLEASE**, leave a note to make your opinion known! Your comments mean A LOT to me, ya know? (gives puppy's eyes) Awww, c'mon. The review button misses ya.

IN THE NEXT ONE: It's time for a lot of explanations. Although the answers are much needed they also raise a storm. In the meantime two people may end up paying dearly for their mistakes. Who falls into the line of fire next?

**WE'VE OFFICIALLY REACHED THE HALFWAY MARK OF THIS STORY!**

Until next time! I really hope you'll be staying tuned for that one.

Take care!

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><p><strong>anon<strong>: Quite a confusing web, no? (groans) But answers will come soon. We'll see just what comes into light…

LOL! Smashing mirrors is totally my thing. Don't ask why, 'cause I have no clue. Go on ahead and profile. (smirks)

Monumental thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>Steph<strong>: Begging, huh? Woah! I'm absolutely baffled by the fact that the story's gotten such a hold of you. I truly hope that the next one won't fall flat, either. (glances hopefully)

Colossal thank yous for the review!


	8. Finish the job'

A/N: Heh, I'm already back! (smirks) Hooray?

First of, THANK YOU so much you absolutely amazing reviews! (GLOMPS) You have no idea what miracles your love does to this story. So thank you! (offers some virtual special treats)

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) It's time to get this show back on the road, no? I truly hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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><p>'Finish the job'<p>

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><p>For JJ the world seemed to stop turning. People came and went. Nadia was taken away in handcuffs. A lot of people asked her if she was alright.<p>

All she could see was the man who'd been brought back from the dead.

When they were finally alone Spencer Reid swallowed, taking a cautious step closer to her. A million things could be seen in his eyes. "JJ, I…" He took a breath, breathing like someone who'd finished a impossibly long dive. "I'm sorry. I never meant…"

His lips moved but she couldn't hear a world. All she could hear was the buzzing in her ears, all she felt was the fire and ache all over her body. Primal instincts taking the lead she closed the distance between them with narrowed eyes and _slapped_ him, as hard as she possibly could. Then she wrapped her arms around him so tightly that it must've hurt and buried her face into his familiar shoulder. When she felt him hold her back the tears finally came.

"Shh…", Spencer soothed her in a bizarre, broken voice, stroking her hair gently. "Shh… It's gonna be okay."

It took a long moment before JJ realized that the strange, heartbreaking wails were coming from her. Finally all the pain she'd been blocking inside of her came flooding through, with such force that her mind and body could barely take it.

This was all _too much_.

She had no idea of how long they'd been there, simply holding on to each other as though for dear life, until she distinguished the sounds of approaching steps. Derek's familiar voice seemed to come through fog and static. "Reid?"

* * *

><p>SSA Dr. Spencer Reid had been dead for over two years. Coming back to life, it seemed, was a extremely bizarre, uncomfortable experience. All he could do was hold still while a part of the family he'd been forced to leave behind stood there, staring at him. The silence was so loud that it hurt his ears.<p>

He suspected that Derek, Aaron and David had come to check up on Emily. He was fairly sure that he was the last person they'd expected to meet. He'd never seen the kind of looks on their faces he did now.

Spencer gulped, then took just one cautious step forward. "I… I never wanted you to find out like this."

Out of the three David was the fastest to regain his ability to speak. In some other situation the man's impossibly wide eyes might've appeared comical. "Reid?"

Spencer had absolutely no clue of what to say or do so he nodded, then emitted a barely audible "Yeah".

For over two years these people had thought that he was dead. All that time he'd wished that he could come back to them. Now he was back. And it was one of the most horrifying things he'd ever faced.

None of them moved or spoke until a soundless decision was made. Spencer stiffened when Derek made his way to him, their eyes never losing contact entirely. And then a pair of arms was wrapped around him. "I told them that you're still alive", the dark skinned man declared in a suspiciously thick voice.

Slowly Spencer's eyes softened while he hugged his best friend back. Laughter and tears both bubbled in his throat. "You do realize that this completely destroys the image you've been giving of yourself, right?"

"Shut up."

In a few moments the hug was broken. As he met eyes with Aaron Spencer realized that there was quite a bit that needed to be talked through. His jawline tightened. "We… need to talk." He glanced around, the paranoia that'd become his constant friend setting in. "But not here."

Aaron understood. "Let's go back to bureau."

Spencer nodded, his body shaking from all the tension building inside it. Soon enough secrets he'd been guarding for such a long time would come out. And he had no idea of what his friends – family – would think of him after that.

Derek spoke as soon as he sat into the man's car and closed the door. "Promise me something."

Curious and surprised, Spencer looked at the man. "Hmm?"

Derek glanced towards him and began to drive. "Don't ever scare me like that again or I'll smack that ingenious head of yours blank."

Spencer wondered how long it was from when he'd last managed to smile like that. "I can promise to try."

Derek nodded. "Good." It took a long moment before the man spoke again. "We missed you."

Spencer looked through the car's window. He didn't like the shadows dancing everywhere. "I missed you, too." He meant it from the bottom of his heart and soul.

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><p>If JJ would've been asked later how she got back to the bureau, into the break room, she wouldn't have remembered a thing. All she knew was that it felt like she'd been having a yet another wonderful, bittersweet dream when she entered to find Spencer with a mug of coffee held in his hands. It took what felt like ages before she managed to speak. "Some things never change", was the best she could muster, glancing towards the mug.<p>

All Spencer managed in return was a tiny, feeble smile. It was around then JJ noticed some lipstick on the cheek she'd slapped earlier. It was highly like a greeting from Penelope, who was sitting firmly beside Spencer and holding the man's hand like she was never planning on letting go again. Beside the blonde Kevin looked like he'd seen a ghost. JJ could tell that she herself didn't appear any better.

The conversation must've began before she walked in, for there was a look of confusion and thoughtfulness on Derek's face before the man spoke. "We… saw the tattoos, on those pictures of the victims. How the hell is it possible that a group of profilers missed something like that the first time around?"

Spencer seemed to feel sick. His fingers became restless. "Because I only allowed you to see the pictures where the tattoos were invisible. If I hadn't you would've found out and been brought into it all as well." He took a moment before continuing. "I'm almost sure that the coroner was a member. That's why you saw and found out only what she wanted of the bodies. There's no way you could've seen the connection. If it would've been up to me you would've never found out but this time they're after you. You need to know what you're up against."

"You were the mystery person that approached me online", Penelope realized.

Spencer nodded and seemed to think of something but remained quiet.

"I still don't get it." There was a frown on Kevin's face. "Were you… a member or something?"

The look Derek darted towards the man made Penelope tense up and cast a warning glare of her own.

Spencer was probably too much in a shock to feel insulted. "No. Sometimes… I used to help with cases outside the FBI." The man took a deep, unsteady breath, fidgeting a little. "You already know what the Golden Dragon is so I don't have to start from the beginning." His eyes darted around on the floor towards which they were fixed, as though seeing something the rest of them couldn't. "CIA got a hang of it and decided to bring an end to it, from the inside. It was called 'Operation Hydra'. The undercover agent couldn't work for CIA so they turned to the FBI for help. Strauss suggested me and I accepted."

David frowned. "They must've checked your background."

Spencer nodded, his face more serious than JJ had ever seen them. There was visible self-hatred in his eyes. "My… father… He died six months before I was taken into the case. They altered the background story and made his cause of death – a heart attack – appear suspicious. No one inside the organization questioned that story. I managed to gather a lot of information."

Derek nodded slowly, appearing just about as dazed as JJ felt. "What went wrong?"

Spencer gave them a wry look, finally managing to bring himself to look at them. "I got shot." He gritted his teeth and thought about it for a moment before continuing. "Nadia… She was also a member, she may still be. She kept telling me how much she wanted to get out." He took a deep breath, focusing on the room's window for a moment. "When I woke up she was there and told me that my funeral would take place in five days."

That most definitely silenced the entire room. What the hell are you supposed to say after something like that?

"Before your…" JJ couldn't bring herself to say the last word. Her fingers shook while he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and licked her lips. "How long were you in the operation?"

Spencer gulped laboriously, almost not daring to look at any any of them. His answer was barely audible. "For two years."

A shockwave went through the room. Two years? Two years and none of them had noticed anything? With certain disgust JJ realized that there was a lot they'd failed to notice when it came to Spencer – they were rarely there when he needed them the most. What kind of a family did that make of them?

"I'm sorry." Those words didn't come from her. They were Spencer's. Traces of almost spilling tears could be seen in the man's eyes as they looked pleadingly towards each member of the team present. "I'm so sorry. You… This was what I was trying to avoid. You were never supposed to be brought into this."

Derek's eyes were nothing but sincere when they bore right into Spencer's. "Kid, there's nothing, absolutely _nothing_, you could've done to avoid this. Any of this. Those bastards are everywhere. You know that."

"There's… more you should sknow." Spencer hesitated before handing them a piece of paper, along with a large brown envelope. "I… Since I was well enough I lived outside the States. That's until these were delivered to me. These are the reasons I returned to Quantico as fast as I could."

A frown on her face JJ took a look as Aaron opened the envelope. She shuddered upon discovering what was inside. Over twenty pictures of every single member of the team, herself along with Will and Henry included. Someone had been keeping an eye on them, from up close. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach. But the pictures weren't the worst part. Because just then she saw the note that'd been typed on a computer.

'_Did you honestly think that you'd be able to run and hide forever? That you'd actually be able to protect them?_

_Nice try, doctor. But this time the game is out of your hands. And I know something you don't. I know who sold you out. If I were you I'd be careful._

_Are you sure that you know who you can trust?_'

"I knew that they'd figured out I was alive when my micro chip was re-activated", Spencer explained in a unreadable tone. "I had to dig it out."

"What the hell is this?" Derek spat out. "This is insane!"

Aaron's eyebrows were furrowed. The man appeared several degrees paler than usual. "Are you sure that this doesn't refer to Nadia?"

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, I am. She was… approached as well."

"Oh… crap!" It wasn't until Kevin spoke JJ even remembered that the man was there. The man got up and started pacing around the room, a frantic look in his eyes. "This… This is just…! Oh crap! This is insane!"

Those were JJ's exact thoughts as well.

Perhaps they were even more on the edge than they'd thought because they all tensed up at the sound of JJ's phone bleeping. She took a look and shuddered when discovering a text message from Will. "Henry's out of the surgery", she announced in a unfamiliar voice.

"Go." David's voice was gentle. "We'll fill you in if anything comes up. Your son needs you. So just go."

JJ nodded, feeling like a ton's weight had been crushing her towards the floor. Her eyes met Spencer's and her lips parted but for some reason she couldn't get out a single word. Instead she turned around and walked away.

While speeding through the streets JJ wondered if she was really in the condition to drive, then quickly decided that there was nothing that could've stopped her from getting to her son. Despite the speed it took much longer than it should've to reach the hospital.

She dashed into the building so fast that she didn't really pay attention to where she was going – and ran straight at Dr. Eric Rhodes. They stared at each other with wide, pained eyes, neither of them quite knowing what to say.

In the end Eric was faster. "Jennie, I… God, I'm so sorry!"

JJ shook her head, suddenly sure that she was being strangled. Tears filled her eyes but didn't spill. "I was the one who came to you, knowing exactly what would happen. I was the one who…" She swallowed, only to have the horrendous taste fill her mouth all over again. "And now my son… He's here. I'm his mom, and it took hours before I received the call to come to him. I betrayed him and my husband. So… So whatever you have to say… It won't make me feel any better." With that she walked away, into a elevator. They kept staring into each other's eyes until the moment the doors closed between them. It wasn't until then JJ let the tears fall.

She'd barely managed to regain some of her composure when she entered her son's ward and made her way to his room. Ice filled her veins when she discovered that once again Will was the only person present. The look on his face filled her with sheer terror. "Will? What's going on?" She was practically screaming but didn't care. She got no reply. "Where is he?"

Finally Will looked at her. She could tell that he'd been crying. "You… You should sit down. There's…" He cleared his throat. "There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

><p>Since the beginning Nia Bahar had only ever wanted to find her brother, who'd gone missing after joining the Golden Dragon to pay back the violent death of their parents. She never discovered a trace of him. Instead she ended up losing herself as well.<p>

Nia Bahar changed her name to Nadia Damascos, a woman with a nearly blank past. Big lies turned into even larger, unforgivable ones. She couldn't even remember how many people she'd deceived or killed. Blood stained her hands. No matter how many times she tried to make things right it always came down on her.

She attempted to help Spencer with cutting his ties to the organization permanently. She ended up falling even deeper into the mess.

She tried to keep the team safe, just like she promised Spencer. She almost ended up killing one of them to stay alive.

She tried to keep her siblings safe. Nothing good came out of that one, either.

Nadia gritted her teeth to chase away those thoughts and glanced towards the clock on the room's wall. Her eyes darkened. So she'd spent six hours in that room, not six days? She allowed her eyes to wander, stared at her own reflection on the room's window that looked like a mirror to her. She couldn't help wondering who was staring at her from the other side because she most definitely felt someone's eyes on her. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the eyes.

Like a little child she wanted to keep everyone happy; her sister, Spencer, those she pretended to work with, the Golden Dragon… She'd fought for as long as she could, holding on with tooth and nail. Now her fate would be in the hands of other people.

When the interrogation room's door finally opened after what felt like lifetimes of isolation she fully expected to see Aaron. Instead in came the about last person she would've ever expected. Her eyes widened dramatically. "How… did you…?"

"How did I get in?" The gestures were perfectly calm while her companion took a seat right in front of her, so close that their knees brushed. "I could've let _them_ take care of you but I wanted to do this myself, just to tease _them_."

Nadia's eyes were frantic while they darted towards the room's surveillance camera. The red light was no longer blinking. Her eyes felt a bit too moist while she looked back towards the arrival. "You came to kill me."

The nod was slow, almost reassuring. "Yes. You've become… an inconvenience. But look at it this way." A gun was pulled out. A reflection of her horrified face lingered on the metallic surface. "Now, with your sister gone… What do you have to live for?"

Nadia's lips opened. She never got the chance to voice a thing.

(When the guards rushed in some brief minutes later Nadia Damascos was declared dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, only fourteen hours after her sister's death.)

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><p>The steps had barely any sound at all while a shadow slipped out of the interrogation room, as subtly as it'd appeared. Death didn't make a sound. It could only be felt as a cool breath in the air while the person walked away without a single backwards glance.<p>

There was one advantage of knowing the building inside and out. It'd been possible to disable all security cameras so swiftly that no one had become suspicious. As far as anyone was concerned Nadia smuggled in the gun and killed herself before she could be interrogated.

Suddenly there were familiar voices, such that belonged to a different lifetime. Voices that made the person who'd already been leaving freeze to the spot.

High heels paused just as the intruder did. "_Are you alright?_" Erin Strauss inquired someone, her voice carrying sympathy that wasn't in it often.

"_Yeah. I'm… It's weird to be back, but… I'm not the one who just saw someone come back from the dead._" Spencer swallowed loudly and held a long pause, as though sensing that something was out of place. "_Hotch is on his way to interrogate Nadia and the others… have a ton of work to do, especially with Emily in the hospital. I didn't want to be in the way._"

"_Dr. Reid._" Erin's voice was firm and gentle, almost like that of a mother. "_You do know that you did the right thing, don't you? If you'd stayed they might all be dead right now. It was the price you had to pay for their freedom._"

There was a somewhat bitter snort. "_I died. If that isn't enough then what is?_"

Another pause followed. Did they know that they were being listened to? "_There's something you need to know. Come to my office._" Two sets of steps distanced. Only one person remained.

A heartbeat shot up. Previously unstable breathing pattern slipped completely out of control. Eyes widened, gained a look that would've startled just about anyone.

Alive…?

'_That's right_', the familiar voice that never really quieted down taunted with a audible sneer. '_You couldn't do even that job right. He's still alive. You've been lied to, again._'

A couple of of tears the cause of which was a total mystery even to the one who shed them spilled. "Shut up!"

'_He was right there. You do remember that, don't you? Back then he was right there, watching. I wouldn't be surprised even if he'd been one of those ordering the execution. You know how well they all work to hide their filthy tracks. He was one of those behind the kill and now he's alive, walking around like nothing had ever happened._'

A angry, badly shaking hand wiped away the tears. The eyes staring into nothing carried something chilling, horrifying. "What… What am I supposed to do about it?"

'_Don't act stupid. You already know._' There was a tiny, taunting pause. '_Finish the job. Whatever it takes._'

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><p>TBC<p>

* * *

><p>AN: So now some of the secrets have unfolded. But it looks like there's still plenty of more to come…

Who is this mystery person that killed Nadia and all those other members of the Golden Dragon? Who sold Reid out?

**PLEASE, **leave a note! Let me know your thoughts! It'd seriously make my day a lot brighter. (gives puppy's eyes) Pwease…?

IN THE NEXT ONE: Strained bonds are mended while the team gets ready for a tough ride. It's finally revealed who shot Reid – and nothing will be the same again…

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll all stay tuned.

Peace out!

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><p><strong>babylove<strong>: I'm the first one to admit that my stories aren't those you can skim through in a minute or two. My head… isn't exactly wired the original way. (smirks sheepishly) When my thoughts flow they POUR out and there's no stopping the flood. I think (way too, sometimes) fast and a lot, and can't understand why some people have troubles with trying to keep up. (This in real life and writing.) It's a matter of my head, not a choice of style. So I can promise to TRY to keep myself in check but I can't say exactly how much I'll be able to change it. (winces)

I'm glad to hear that you like the idea, though. I hope that you'll be sticking around for the latter half of this story.

Huge thank yous for the review!

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><p><strong>Steph<strong>: Quite a bit of questions, no? (groans) But no worries, soon there'll be answers, too.

I'm really glad to hear that you liked the idea of what the Golden Dragon is! I was really nervous about adding it. (beams)

'Hope the next one turns out worth the wait!

Colossal thank yous for the review!


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